Delta Air Lines increases Atlanta-Edinburgh flights to 10x weekly

Delta Air Lines has spent the last decade reclaiming its position as one of America’s leading airlines. This effort included expanding its international route network by adding new destinations beyond the United States's borders from its hubs across America.

As a result, Delta has positioned itself to be a fierce competitor in several international markets, especially the transatlantic market.

Primarily using hubs at New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the airline continues to launch new frequencies to European destinations.

The airline’s latest expansion will enhance the seats available on services from Atlanta to Edinburgh, Scotland. With the addition of several weekly flights, Delta will boast impressive frequency between Georgia and Scotland’s capital city this summer.

Edinburgh, Scotland, is not a new city for Delta Air Lines. In fact, the Atlanta-based carrier typically flies between the capital city and Atlanta once daily.

Given Atlanta’s geography and importance in the Delta Air Lines' route network, having a direct connection to the Scottish city allows Delta to bolster passenger connectivity through one flight.

According to Cirium, an aviation data analytics firm, starting June 7, 2025, Delta will increase its frequency between Atlanta and Edinburgh by launching three new weekly direct services.

This means the carrier will fly between the two cities 10 times weekly during the summer until September 6, 2025. After this, the service will return to a daily frequency.

Delta will deploy its Boeing 767 aircraft on this route. These widebody jets are often deployed on routes with thinner demand but that cover long distances.

The 767s deployed on this route have 216 seats, making it one of the less dense configurations in Delta’s Boeing widebody fleet.

The standard daily service, DL34, departs Atlanta at 23:05 local time and arrives in Edinburgh at around 12:05 the next day. The airline blocked the transatlantic crossing to take exactly 8 hours. Meanwhile, an additional thrice-weekly service, DL254, will depart Atlanta at 19:05 and arrive in Edinburgh at 08:00.

This service is blocked to take five minutes less than the daily flight. DL 254 will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

On return to the United States, DL35 will operate daily. This service will depart Edinburgh at 09:00 local time and arrive in Atlanta at 13:00 local time, making the trip blocked at 9 hours.

Meanwhile, DL253 will run Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. It will leave Scotland at 10:00 local time and arrive in Georgia at 14:00. Both flights have the same block time.

New frequencies mean growth for the Atlanta to Edinburgh market. In June 2025, Delta will operate a total of 40 flights between the two cities, which equates to 8,640 seats. In July 2025, this figure jumps to 45 flights and 9,720 seats.

August sees a decline by one scheduled service, but still boasts 9,504 available seats. And while most of September will see only one daily flight, the month will have 33 frequencies and 7,128 available seats.

Despite the changes, July continues to be the peak for services to Edinburgh. Delta clearly believes it can grow the market for service to Scotland, likely by channeling more passengers through its Atlanta hub.

Delta’s service to Edinburgh is relatively new. According to Edinburgh Airport, the carrier resumed service to the Scottish capital from its hometown on May 26, 2023. However, Delta previously operated the route until 2007.

Atlanta plays a critical role in Delta’s network. Not only is the airport approaching its 100th year in operation, it is also the largest hub for Delta Air Lines. In fact, according to the Department of Transportation, Delta and its regional subsidiaries account for over 75% of ATL’s traffic.

With so many passengers funneled through the southeastern hub, it's no wonder Delta believes it can fill more planes bound for European cities.