With the summer 2023 travel season behind us, airlines are starting to reveal their planned routes for 2024. We’ve already seen American reveal its summer 2024 transatlantic expansion, and now Delta has unveiled its new routes for the summer 2024 schedule.
While this was first announced a couple of days ago, I wanted to post an update, as schedules have been published and flights are now on sale (in addition to this, Delta announced it would operate Los Angeles to Auckland flights year-round).
New Delta Europe service starting in 2024
Delta will be operating its biggest-ever transatlantic schedule in the summer of 2024. With this, we’ll see the airline add some new routes, and expand frequencies in some existing markets. Let’s go over what we can expect…
Delta adds Atlanta to Zurich route
Between May 31 and September 8, 2024, Delta will operate a 4x weekly seasonal flight between Atlanta (ATL) and Zurich (ZRH). This will operate with the following schedule:
DL90 Atlanta to Zurich departing 7:35PM arriving 9:35AM (+1 day)
DL91 Zurich to Atlanta departing 11:35AM arriving 2:55PM
The 4,691-mile flight is blocked at 8hr eastbound and 9hr20min westbound. The eastbound flight will operate Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, while the westbound flight will operate Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Delta will use a Boeing 767-300ER for the route.
This will complement Delta’s existing service to Zurich out of New York. Zurich is of course a Star Alliance hub, so this is a market where United is much stronger (thanks to its transatlantic joint venture with SWISS).
Delta adds New York to Munich route
Between April 7 and October 24, 2024, Delta will operate a 3x weekly seasonal flight between New York (JFK) and Munich (MUC). This will operate with the following schedule:
DL238 New York to Munich departing 6:05PM arriving 8:25AM (+1 day)
DL239 Munich to New York departing 11:45AM arriving 2:40PM
The 4,038-mile flight is blocked at 8hr20min eastbound and 8hr55min westbound. The eastbound flight will operate Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, while the westbound flight will operate Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. Delta will use a Boeing 767-400ER for the route.
This will complement Delta’s existing service to Munich out of both Atlanta and Detroit. Much like with Zurich, Munich is a Star Alliance hub, so this is a market where United is also much stronger (thanks to its transatlantic joint venture with Lufthansa).
Delta adds New York to Naples route
Between May 23 and October 25, 2024, Delta will operate a daily seasonal flight between New York (JFK) and Naples (NAP). This will operate with the following schedule:
DL232 New York to Naples departing 4:50PM arriving 8:00AM (+1 day)
DL233 Naples to New York departing 10:00AM arriving 2:05PM
The 4,401-mile flight is blocked at 9hr10min eastbound and 10hr5min westbound. Delta will use a Boeing 767-300ER for the route.
This will be Delta’s only flight to Naples, though Delta will be competing against United (which flies there out of Newark) and American (which flies there out of Philadelphia).
Delta adds New York to Shannon route
Between May 23 and October 6, 2024, Delta will operate a daily seasonal flight between New York (JFK) and Shannon (SNN). This will operate with the following schedule:
DL284 New York to Shannon departing 10:55PM arriving 10:10AM (+1 day)
DL285 Shannon to New York departing 11:55AM arriving 2:25PM
The 3,082-mile flight is blocked at 6hr15min eastbound and 7hr30min westbound. Delta will use a Boeing 7757-200 for the route. Note that Delta One (business class) won’t be offered on this route, but rather Delta is using a domestically configured Boeing 757, and the first class cabin will be marketed as Premium Select (premium economy).
This will be Delta’s only flight to Shannon, and Delta last operated this route in 2019. United also flies seasonally to Shannon out of Chicago and Newark, while American doesn’t currently fly there.
Delta increasing service in existing markets
In addition to the above new route adds, Delta will be increasing frequencies in several existing markets, including the following:
- Atlanta (ATL) to Paris (CDG) — there will be up to 21x weekly service
- Atlanta (ATL) to Venice (VCE) — there will be up to 10x weekly service
- Boston (BOS) to Athens (ATH) — there will be up to 7x weekly service
- Cincinnati (CVG) to Paris (CDG) — there will be up to 7x weekly service
- Detroit (DTW) to Paris (CDG) — there will be up to 14x weekly service
- Detroit (DTW) to Reykjavik (KEF) — there will be up to 5x weekly service
- New York (JFK) to Barcelona (BCN) — there will be up to 14x weekly service
Delta cancels Atlanta to Dusseldorf route
There is one major cut coming to Delta’s transatlantic network. Specifically, as of October 27, 2023, Delta will discontinue its service between Atlanta (ATL) and Dusseldorf (DUS). This is sad, because Delta has been the only US airline to serve Dusseldorf, and this is also the only transatlantic route to Dusseldorf. It’s unfortunate that Dusseldorf couldn’t sustain this. Even though it’s a wealthy city with a lot of business, that apparently wasn’t enough to make this route worthwhile for Delta.
My take on Delta’s transatlantic expansion
We’ve seen airlines build up their transatlantic summer networks in an unprecedented way in the past couple of years. Airlines have added so many leisure summer routes, so it’s not surprising that this expansion from Delta isn’t really that exciting. I mean, the airline has added just about every imaginable, so there’s only so much more you can add, especially when you don’t have access to unlimited planes.
A few thoughts on these routes:
- I find it interesting that two of the four new routes are to major Star Alliance hubs, since Delta is at quite the disadvantage there; along those lines, I’m surprised that one of the new routes to a Star Alliance hub wasn’t Minneapolis to Frankfurt, given that this is a route that Lufthansa is launching
- I figured it was a given that Delta would add flights to Naples, given that both American and United plan on operating these in the summer of 2024
- The Shannon service also isn’t surprising as a seasonal destination, and I imagine American will return there as well once it takes delivery of A321XLRs
- I’m sad but not surprised to see Delta ditch Dusseldorf; back in the day Lufthansa operated transatlantic flights out of Dusseldorf, as did airberlin, while now the airport is left with nothing across the Atlantic
Bottom line
Delta has announced its summer 2024 schedule, which will see the airline launch new routes from New York to Munich, Naples, and Shannon, as well as a new route from Atlanta to Zurich. We’ll also see increased frequencies in several existing markets.
I can’t say this is the most exciting transatlantic expansion ever, but then again, I figure Delta has already added so many new routes in the past couple of years.
What do you make of Delta’s summer 2024 transatlantic plans?
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