Delta will have 183 routes and over 5,000 departures from Atlanta in the first week of summer. Florida has, not surprisingly, become even more important, with Fort Lauderdale now its joint-second route, up from 15th last year. Widebodies will operate 11 of its 138 domestic routes, with over three times more departures than pre-coronavirus.

Orlando still top for Delta from Atlanta

Delta is to have 183 routes from Atlanta at the end of March, the first week of the aviation summer season. It’ll have over 5,000 weekly departures and around 700 each day, data from OAG shows.

At 4,502 miles, Delta’s Honolulu route will be by far its longest domestic service from the airport. This service will be operated six-weekly using B767-400s. At 2,182 miles, Seattle is next with a 39-weekly offering.

There has been much change among Delta’s core routes from its largest airport on an airport-pair basis. Given the increased demand for leisure travel at the expense of business, Florida has inevitably become even more critical.

Fort Lauderdale is now Delta’s joint-second largest from Atlanta, up from 15th last year. Its Fort Lauderdale flights have risen by 82% year-on-year, although it is still down – marginally – over 2019.

Fort Lauderdale, Miami, and Charleston have entered the top-10, while Jacksonville and LaGuardia have – temporarily? – exited it.

Delta's top routes from Atlanta
As you'd expect, Florida now features more in Delta's top-10 routes from Atlanta than it did last year,  although Orlando is still firmly number-one. Source: OAG Schedules Analyser

Proper hub, high frequency

With a proper hub comes high frequency, and Atlanta is no exception. Delta’s domestic routes have an average of 32 weekly departures, a significant amount. It is telling that Seattle comes well down the list and is not in the top-50 despite its above-average number of departures.

At the other extreme is Boise. This route, pretty new from Atlanta, will be four-weekly, and therefore is the lowest. 10 others will have a seven-weekly-or-below service, including Albuquerque, Cedar Rapids, Portsmouth, Reno, and Sioux Falls.

Delta's top routes from Atlanta
Here are Delta's top-50 domestic routes by flights in the first week of summer. Image: GCMap

Multiple cuts, but more leisure routes

Delta’s Atlanta network will include 138 domestic routes, down by 10 from the same week in 2020 because of coronavirus, with these often close to alternative airports and low frequency.

These include Akron-Canton, Burbank, Colorado Springs, Flint, Fort Smith, Manchester (NH), Newport News, Peoria, and Rochester (MN). Destinations cut had just 1.4% of Delta’s domestic departures from Atlanta in that 2020 week, analysis of OAG data shows. Offsetting these cuts are multiple additions that are very leisure and outdoor-focused, including Boise, Bozeman, Jackson Hole, and Vail.

Delta Boeing 757
Delta also embarked on its own round of domestic expansion. Photo: Getty Images.

Widebodies on 11 domestic routes

Widebodies are scheduled to have 229 domestic departures with Delta across this week, up enormously from just 49 in 2020 and 70 in the first summer week of 2019. They'll be used on 11 routes, most particularly its hub connection to Salt Lake City, also great for the wild outdoors. Widebodies will operate 49 – and nearly 80% – of its departures to the Utah capital.

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