As travel demand grows, Delta will add new international routes

Delta Air Lines is adding a few more international routes to its schedule as demand for international travel continues to grow in the industry this summer.

Beginning Dec. 17, the Atlanta-based airline will offer nonstop service for the first time from its largest hub, Atlanta, to Cape Town, Africa, and from Los Angeles to Tahiti, the largest island in French Polynesia. Beginning in May 2023, the airline is slated to add nonstop service from Atlanta to Tel Aviv, Israel.

With the new routes, the airline will offer a total of 10 weekly flights to South Africa and 13 weekly flights to Tel Aviv from three US hubs in Atlanta, Boston and New York.

Delta’s CEO apologized for the flight disruption

The airline reported earlier this month that it is seeing steady improvement in the return of international flights and has launched services to several international markets, including Copenhagen, Seoul, Prague and Tokyo.

A passenger walks through the gate of a Delta Air Lines flight at Logan International Airport in Boston, Massachusetts, US, January 3, 2022. (Reuters/Brian Snyder/File Photo/Reuters)

“There was significant improvement in the quarter as travel restrictions eased and many countries removed testing requirements,” Delta Air Lines President Glenn Hauenstein said during an earnings call.

Delta saw full-year gains on strong consumer demand

In June, earnings in the Latin American and Atlantic regions exceeded 2019 levels, Hauenstein said. He also said, “The Pacific Ocean is accelerating as Korea and Australia reopen and Japan’s restrictions are easing.”

So far, about 60% of the total bookings in September have been for international travel, which is “significantly higher than what we experienced in June,” Hauenstein said.

Travelers fly through Salt Lake City International Airport, Thursday, June 2, 2022, in Salt Lake City. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer/AP Newsroom)

Similarly, American Airlines Chief Financial Officer Derek Kerr also said business acceleration and long-haul international demand contributed to the carrier’s strength in the three months ending in June, analysts said.

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“There’s a lot of pent-up demand for people going international, whether that’s anywhere, obviously, transatlantic and South America. And we expect that to continue throughout the year,” business executive Vasu Raja told analysts.

Meanwhile, United Airlines announced the launch of 24 international routes in the second quarter. The Chicago-based airline has announced new weekly service between Tokyo and Saipan starting in September.