We know that Delta has huge growth aspirations across the Pacific, particularly to Asia. It’s an area where Delta has increasingly fallen behind United in recent years, but Delta now hopes to not only catch up, but even beat United. We’ll see what comes of that, and in particular, find out just how costly that growth is.
While this shouldn’t come as much of a surprise, Delta executives are now publicly confirming plans to return to Singapore, a destination that hasn’t been served by the airline since 2019, when that was an intra-Asia tag flight from Japan. We’re also learning out of which airport that service will likely operate…
In this post:
Delta is eyeing Singapore for further Asia expansion
As Delta executives view it, the airline is pretty maxed out in terms of its European potential, and in the long run, they see the most long haul growth potential in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa. So, what kind of expansion should we expect?
- So far, Delta has launched flights to Hong Kong (HKG), and has announced plans to fly to Manila (MNL) and Tokyo Narita (NRT); Riyadh (RUH) flights are also launching soon (we’ll see how that goes), and that’s technically Asia, but not a Pacific flight
- Delta also wants to connect its Los Angeles (LAX) and New York (JFK) hubs to Seoul Incheon (ICN), which is the hub of joint venture partner Korean Air, as Delta loves routing Asia traffic through there
- We’ve also known that Delta plans to once again fly to Singapore (SIN), and we’re learning more about what that will look like
Sean Cudahy reports that Delta Chief Commercial Officer Joe Esposito has just explicitly confirmed that the airline is returning to Singapore. That’s not really a surprise, since we’ve known that was in the cards.
But what’s perhaps most interesting is the hub out of which the service will operate — Esposito ruled out that the service could operate out of Los Angeles, so it’s pretty clear that the airline will operate this service out of Seattle (SEA). That also matches previous reporting from JonNYC.
Now, we’ll see with what timeline this service actually launches. My guess is that we’re looking at a fall 2027 service start, at best. At 8,070 miles, this will be Delta’s third longest flight, after its routes to South Africa, which are from Atlanta (ATL) to Cape Town (CPT) and Johannesburg (JNB).
One certainly wonders if this Singapore route could be operated by Delta’s new Airbus A350-1000s, which will feature an all-new passenger experience. While the plane has great range and per seat economics, the only thing I’d say is that it’s “a lot of plane” for a new market, in terms of the overall capacity (even with the very premium layout).
In both the Seattle and Los Angeles to Singapore market, Singapore Airlines is the only other carrier operating. So competitively there’s not a huge difference in that regard, though Singapore Airlines does have significantly more service out of Los Angeles.
My take on Delta’s Asia expansion plans
It’s fantastic to see Delta looking to grow its presence in Asia. Point-to-point flying to Asia is a market that United has basically had cornered in recent years, and competition is good for consumers.
It’s amazing to think for how many years Delta basically squandered its Asia advantage. Keep in mind that back in the day, Northwest had a robust Asia network, and after the merger with Delta, we saw that network decreased slowly but steadily, as Delta instead focused on routing everything through Seoul Incheon, and into the Korean Air network. So I’m happy to see a reversal of that strategy.
I also have to say that given Delta’s hubris, it’s kind of fun to see the airline having to increasingly play “catch up,” rather than coming in as the dominant carrier. And I think that very much sums up what’s going on in Asia.
The most basic structural disadvantage that Delta has is that United has a fortress hub in San Francisco (SFO), which is where a large part of its Asia network flies from. That’s fantastic for connectivity, not to mention San Francisco is a very strong market for Asia traffic.
Delta, meanwhile, is taking a split hub approach, flying out of both Los Angeles and Seattle. Obviously Delta is trying to make the best of its situation, but there’s no denying that this is an uphill battle:
- Both Delta’s Los Angeles and Seattle hubs are roughly half the size of United’s San Francisco hub, so the connectivity and local loyalty just aren’t there in the same way
- Delta is in second place in Seattle, which isn’t great from a loyalty revenue perspective, given that Alaska continues to be the dominant carrier for the local community
- Los Angeles is a market that’s really hard to win, and if Delta can actually turn it into a profitable hub where it has a significant market share advantage, it’ll be the first airline to succeed at that in the long run
- Compared to United, Delta just doesn’t have the breadth or depth of network that United has; for example, one flight a day to Hong Kong is great, but United’s four flights per day are better
It also has to be emphasized that in terms of actually transporting passengers profitably (or at less of a loss), United does a better job at that than Delta, despite its lower overall profitability. Comparing passenger revenue per air seat mile to cost per air seat mile, United is at 16.18 cents vs. 16.46 cents, while Delta is at 17.37 cents vs. 19.31 cents.
Bottom line
Delta is growing quite a bit in Asia at the moment. The airline has already launched flights to Hong Kong, with flights now on sale to Manila and Tokyo Narita. On top of that, Delta has officially confirmed it plans to fly to Singapore in the near future, with the service likely to be out of Seattle rather than Los Angeles.
It’s great for passengers to see more competition across the Pacific, as Delta sure is making up for a lack of effort for years. However, the airline will also have quite the disadvantage compared to United for a long time…
What do you make of Delta’s plans to fly to Singapore?
Will this flight offer sewage spills and shop vac clean-up too?
"Meanwhile in the Los Angeles to Singapore market, Delta would’ve had competition from both Singapore Airlines and United Airlines."
Has United recently announced plans to resume LAX-SIN?
They haven't flown that for years.
@ ImmortalSynn -- You're of course correct, no clue what I was thinking (didn't have enough coffee, I guess). Post updated. Thanks!
There's no other logical place for DL to fly to SIN than SEA given the limits of its West Coast hub structure. Will this flight work? It is going up against SQ, and whether the market can bear a second service remains to be seen. A lot of what DL has attempted TPAC out of SEA hasn't worked. Time will tell. I doubt the new focus on TPAC is going to be a huge profit...
There's no other logical place for DL to fly to SIN than SEA given the limits of its West Coast hub structure. Will this flight work? It is going up against SQ, and whether the market can bear a second service remains to be seen. A lot of what DL has attempted TPAC out of SEA hasn't worked. Time will tell. I doubt the new focus on TPAC is going to be a huge profit machine for Delta. The gateways (LAX, SEA) simply don't lend themselves to replicate what UA has at SFO.
The LAX market is saturated, which exerts downward pressure on yields.
"A lot of what DL has attempted TPAC out of SEA hasn't worked."
If by "a lot" you mean two routes (Osaka, Hong Kong), then I guess so.
Delta cannot return to Beijing within the current frequency limitations (50 weekly departures on each side) between the USA and PRC, which is a third of what was allowed pre-Covid, so that one can't exactly count as "not working" when they do wish to fly it.
Totally agree!! I've been flying to/from SLC to Incheon for the past 11 years, and I've taken all US based airlines (UA, American, Delta) and the Asian-based airlines have always exceeded my expectations, particularly Korean Air, which I've had the most experience on. There was a time I would always choose Korean over Delta when both were flying same day/time to ICN. Now that Delta flies nonstop to ICN from SLC, I've had to take...
Totally agree!! I've been flying to/from SLC to Incheon for the past 11 years, and I've taken all US based airlines (UA, American, Delta) and the Asian-based airlines have always exceeded my expectations, particularly Korean Air, which I've had the most experience on. There was a time I would always choose Korean over Delta when both were flying same day/time to ICN. Now that Delta flies nonstop to ICN from SLC, I've had to take it to save the long day and layover time. But I would still choose Korean or Asiana if I had the choice, simply because I've never been disappointed with the comfort, the service, and the general feeling that I actually matter to them as a customer. The US airlines could really learn a lot from the Asian-based airlines.
this is a fair but only partially accurate assessment of where DL and UA are across the Pacific.
DL inherited NW’s TPAC route system which was almost exclusively centered at NRT. UA long was the strongest of the legacies on the west coast and moved 40 years ago to buy Pan Am’s TPAC network and has built well on it.
NW was very weak on the west coast; DL tried a PDX hubette...
this is a fair but only partially accurate assessment of where DL and UA are across the Pacific.
DL inherited NW’s TPAC route system which was almost exclusively centered at NRT. UA long was the strongest of the legacies on the west coast and moved 40 years ago to buy Pan Am’s TPAC network and has built well on it.
NW was very weak on the west coast; DL tried a PDX hubette while AA tried a TPAC hub at SJC. 10 years ago, DL built SEA as a full hub and supports 4 TPAC flights plus a decent portfolio to Europe. DL’s SEA hub is the second largest international gateway on the west coast behind UA at SFO.
DL and UA each have 3 western US hubs that form a triangle– DL has SLC, SEA and LAX; UA has DEN, SFO and LAX. SFO will remain the largest w/ multiple frequencies to multiple cities. SLC and DEN will likely only support one DL or UA flight to E. Asia – in part because or network and in part because of SLC and DEN’s altitude. It is LAX that is at play and why DL’s growth over the next 3 years matters to the balance between DL and UA.
Five years ago, DL’s TPAC network was just to HND, ICN, and PVG. In 3 years, DL could be serving a dozen TPAC destinations on as many flights from the western US.
It was always a given that DL would rebuild its TPAC system and do it based on the growth of its domestic network on the west coast. The real part of DL and UA’s networks that is worth watching is the eastern US.
UA used to fly from EWR to multiple cities in E. Asia but is down to just Tokyo, growing to ICN soon. UA’s 787s cannot fly to many of the destinations UA used to serve without taking out even more seats, making it hard to make a profit. DL is larger from the eastern US to E. Asia even without flying NYC to E. Asia – which will return. It is those NYC to E. Asia markets that are up for grabs. The 350 and esp. the 35K – can do what the 787 never can without reducing the number of seats to an unprofitable level. DL will be able to carry up to 100 more seats on flights with the 350 than UA can on the 787.
ATL is the largest US carrier interior US hub to E. Asia right now; add in JFK to E. and S. Asia and the Middle East and potentially BOS, DL has enormous capability to grow its network to Asia.
UA’s best interior US hub to Asia – ORD – is a domestic battlefield right now and is surrounded by DL’s MSP and DTW hubs which combined have 5 flights to 3 E. Asian cities.
The eastern US has enormous potential for DL on top of DL’s leading position from the eastern US to the world; UA will likely always be the largest from the western US to the world.
DL will build out its western US to Asia network over the next 3-5 years; what UA does with the eastern US will be what will be most interesting to watch.
I believe DL are offering generous discounts to attract business travelers.
This won't end well
It is DOT data which you think is all fake
And yet you can’t or won’t explain how Delta makes far more profit than United even though UA flies more ASMs
We all get that SFO is and has been the best gateway to Asia Pacific. United built on what Pan Am started
NW excelled at interior US to E Asia. Delta is larger from its interior US hubs to E Asia both in numbers of flights and destinations in Asia.
You are scared because Delta is growing its west coast presence to Asia Pacific while United is smaller from the interior US to E...
We all get that SFO is and has been the best gateway to Asia Pacific. United built on what Pan Am started
NW excelled at interior US to E Asia. Delta is larger from its interior US hubs to E Asia both in numbers of flights and destinations in Asia.
You are scared because Delta is growing its west coast presence to Asia Pacific while United is smaller from the interior US to E Asia than they were 6 years ago.
As hard as some of you struggle to accept reality, every negative has a positive and vv
From the first article from the search you suggested.
We talk a lot about how Delta is seemingly losing tons of money in Seattle (SEA). Their performance looks really poor. Some of the routes are among Delta's worst. One of them even had a 14% load factor in Q4 last year. Yet, Delta keeps saying all their hubs are profitable. It seems like a disconnect. Of course, Delta used to run the hub as only...
From the first article from the search you suggested.
We talk a lot about how Delta is seemingly losing tons of money in Seattle (SEA). Their performance looks really poor. Some of the routes are among Delta's worst. One of them even had a 14% load factor in Q4 last year. Yet, Delta keeps saying all their hubs are profitable. It seems like a disconnect. Of course, Delta used to run the hub as only international with Alaska Airlines providing the feed and that schism is what started the war in SEA that wages on and probably drove Alaska to buy Hawaiian. Of course, the missing link in Delta's motivations are international financial performance which is a lot harder to get because of restrictions on release of DOT data. We do have other sources for getting data on our INTL TIER, however.
For the first time, we decided to sort Delta's station performance for international routes only and see what that looked like in the wake of Delta's 2025 new route announcement. SEA came out pretty well. Was it enough to enough to offset the domestic losses? Maybe so. It seems like Asia is the main driver, unsurprisingly, based on the other strong Delta stations.
These were our thoughts on SEA from the full Summer 2023 list...
Seattle (SEA) wow. I guess there is a reason Delta is still fighting the war of Seattle (SEA) and a reason Alaska bought Hawaiian to try to administer a SEA death-blow to Delta. This is apparently why Delta limps along with their heinous domestic results in SEA and how they claim the hub is profitable when it looks god awful domestically. I wonder how much of a wallop Taipei (TPE) will pack when its near certain losses start to get scored?
It’s pretty simple. DL hasn’t had the lift or the gateway(s) needed to serve the Pacific in the same manner as UA.
Please show us the per mile profitability for Delta and United in the Pacific and the TPAC profitability for each airline over the last twenty years since you are claiming to know. Inquiring minds want to know. And please cite your sources.
It wasn't THAT long ago. 2010s. DL(NW) flew both MNL-NRT/NGO with 744s
Delta has history of walking away from offshore hubs. I remember when they flew FRA-LED!
It wasn't THAT long ago. 2010s. DL(NW) flew both MNL-NRT/NGO with 744s
UA started with the strong west coast domestic presence. They now have added both the legacy of Pan Am and Continental who were pioneers in the Pacific. It is shame Delta did not do more with the NW legacy. But that isn’t an easy task from SLC. United has said they will do more with LHR if there was a near by GUM like hub in place already. There would be no Mongolia without Guam. So every one plays with the legacy they have
because MAX is incapable of admitting what DL does well.
People have been predicting DL's demise at SEA since before they announced it as a hub.
DL clearly makes money - perhaps not as much as ATL, DTW, MSP or SLC but DL's hubs do make money
few people want to admit that UA jumped in to replace DL and NW as the largest TPAC carrier and UA flew most of their Pacific network at just breakeven profitability for years, only to start making money post covid.
DL's TPAC profitability turned around in the late 2010s as it began to shift Tokyo flights to HND and end beyond NRT traffic.
The Pacific has long been difficult for US carriers but...
few people want to admit that UA jumped in to replace DL and NW as the largest TPAC carrier and UA flew most of their Pacific network at just breakeven profitability for years, only to start making money post covid.
DL's TPAC profitability turned around in the late 2010s as it began to shift Tokyo flights to HND and end beyond NRT traffic.
The Pacific has long been difficult for US carriers but DL and UA are poised to be profitable.
DL right now just happens to make more money per seat mile flying the Pacific (and more money overall flying the Atlantic) than UA.
As hard as it is for some people to accept, there are good reasons at the route level that explain why UA has made $1 billion less in profits than DL YTD in 2025
Delta has never flown SIN nonstop from the US; it was always part of the NRT hub.
DL lost the ability to carry beyond Japan traffic when it moved to HND where the Japanese government does not allow US carrier beyond traffic.
DL didn't lose interest in Asia; they are simply in a 10 year reboot of their Asian network that included covid but has also includes developing the largest TPAC JV with KE...
Delta has never flown SIN nonstop from the US; it was always part of the NRT hub.
DL lost the ability to carry beyond Japan traffic when it moved to HND where the Japanese government does not allow US carrier beyond traffic.
DL didn't lose interest in Asia; they are simply in a 10 year reboot of their Asian network that included covid but has also includes developing the largest TPAC JV with KE which is in the process of merging OZ into KE which opens new opportunities for DL to Asia on DL metal
United is flying NRT-ROR 2X weekly from Oct 29. You posted the day before they launched this service!
yes @Tim Dunn your Delta has shrunk in TPAC. Let's not spread lies again
Delta dropped Singapore a few years back because they lost interest in Asian routes. I wonder how long this will last.
No one wants to pay more for a fight simply for free WiFi. Never once played a part in my decision to fly. So what does matter? Not having to pay for checked luggage on a round trip flight. Korean Airlines/ international carriers have that advantage over domestic carriers.
Delta had all of this when they merged with premire pacific airline Northwest. Delta gave it all to United, now it is catch up time
I hope Delta Air will starts direct flight to Manila from Las Vegas/LA/San Francisco. Floght to Manila is so expensive and controlled by the few airline.
I think there is potential that either may open up in SLC as SLC has always been in Delta’s plans to be the ATL of the west. SLC is dominated by Delta, They just opened their massive second Delta Sky Club in B, a Delta One Lounge is opening any day this fall also in B and the new gates in terminal B are opening which has been Delta’s plan to eventually make that their...
I think there is potential that either may open up in SLC as SLC has always been in Delta’s plans to be the ATL of the west. SLC is dominated by Delta, They just opened their massive second Delta Sky Club in B, a Delta One Lounge is opening any day this fall also in B and the new gates in terminal B are opening which has been Delta’s plan to eventually make that their international terminal. They just got a direct flight to Seoul and Lima is coming this winter. Additionally, you can’t expand onto LAX or SEA only renovate but you can expand onto SLC as it is a brand new airport with all that open land with room for expansion. As soon as you see more A350’s orders come in we should start to see those destinations realize.
That research literally says SEA is Delta's top performing US station for international. I am just basing it off of what he says.
If you choose to take his word for domestic revenue, why be selective and not agree when the international results are something else?
TD says, "and you also realize - doesn't matter if you do or not - DL is larger to E. Asia from East of the Rockies than UA."
And don't forget, north of the Columbia river gap also. ;)
YOLO
You have some laughable comments on here, but this is pretty high up there.
That research says DL in Seattle has the worst domestic rasm of any US3 hub. But he can’t get international yields and Seattle international is certainly nowhere near the international performance of a core monopoly delta hub
I think most here probably do remember that delta has left these cities with their tail between their legs ;)
Haha I know right, well I think they are kinda stuck. It was hard for AA to compete in LAX against non-union Asian carriers that provide better service. Unless they go back to SJC and maybe they can wrestle some customers away from UA in SFO. But we know that would be a long shot. Besides they have one of the best Asian carriers in the One World network. Cathay Pacific.
My guess is very few folks here remember that Delta flew to most of these “new” stations mentioned in this article. SIN MNL HKG
We might eventually, it’s dependent on the aircraft deliveries. Along with SIN MNL and HKG, BKK would pretty much have us returning to nearly all the Asia stations we flew to previously.
These aren’t new routes. I guess you haven’t been around long enough to know we flew to SIN, MNL and HKG,
So, basically DL is trying to start replacing the NW routes they tossed away after the merger.
What kind of a sick excuse for human being are you? I hope your private parts shrink and fall off.