UPDATE: 2023/03/21 15:54 EST BY LUKAS SOUZA
Delta Air Lines Statement
“This is a routine adjustment to regional flying and represents a very small reduction over a period of four months, equating to a 1.5% reduction in flights week over week. Delta on average, is still operating approximately 4,500 flights a day to 275 destinations around the globe. We’ll continue to take a strategic and measured approach to rebuilding our network, matching our offerings with demand.”
According to schedule data from Cirium, Atlanta-based carrier Delta Air Lines has reduced its summer schedule by more than 6,000 flights. Four routes were cut as part of the changes to the airline's schedule, including two from its hub in Detroit and one that had not even launched.
Summer cuts
As summer rapidly approaches, airlines hope to nail down their schedules and minimize last-minute disruptions to operations. Multiple factors go into the decision-making process, like analyzing the demand and labor force. In recent years, labor shortages have proved a problem for carriers, as the demand for air travel has rebounded faster than anyone expected.
Cirium data shows Delta is cutting four routes in June, two from its hub at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport. Flights from Detroit to Alpena and Iron Mountain, Michigan, are cut, as well as those between New York City's LaGuardia Airport and Dallas Love Field, and Minneapolis and Escanaba. Delta has reduced its June schedule by 1,952 flights, less than 2% of the flights it had scheduled last week. The cut equates to a reduction of 259,836 seats. Even with this reduction, the carrier has almost 7,000 more flights in its June schedule than in 2022.
Though Delta cut flights from LaGuardia to Love Field, it adds frequencies to DAL from Los Angeles International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. Overall, the schedule decreases by 1,952 flights, but the airline is increasing frequencies on 89 routes and decreasing frequencies on 331. After the changes, Delta has 144,305 flights scheduled in June, totaling 20,451,055 seats.
In July, no other routes were cut, but with all adjustments, Delta reduced its schedule by 1,858 flights, cutting 199,574 seats. Thirty-four routes will see increased frequencies, eighty-four routes will have reduced frequencies, and three new routes will be added in Michigan, Minnesota, and Florida.
The new routes are:
- Escanaba - Iron Mountain
- Hibbing/Chisholm (Minnesota) - International Falls (Minnesota)
- Detroit - Destin-Ft. Walton Beach
Overall, Delta has a schedule increase of more than 9,000 flights in July 2023 versus July 2022, reaching an increase of almost 2.7 million seats. Flights were also cut in August and September, 1,728 and 816, respectively. Delta's August schedule suffered a cut of more than 260,000 seats, and in September, over 115,,000. Still, each month's schedule has an increase of over 2 million seats year-over-year.
Largest Latin-American winter schedule
On Friday, Delta announced that it would operate its largest-ever schedule to Latin America this winter holiday season (December 16 - January 7). During this period, the carrier is increasing its schedule by 20% over 2022. Currently, flights are scheduled to 44 destinations, offering more than 25,000 seats per day. Sixteen routes will see added frequencies, concentrating on those from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City.
Solidifying itself as the largest carrier to Latin America from both Detroit and Atlanta, Delta is increasing frequencies on nine destinations between the two hubs. The most significant increase is to Delta's route from Atlanta to Roatan, which will go from one weekly flight to daily services.