Delta Air Lines has made some adjustments to its transatlantic schedule. With the exception of a few haircuts, the airline has generally added frequencies to take advantage of what nearly every airline expects will be a record summer as restrictions have been down on both sides of the Atlantic for the first time since 2019.

Delta Air Lines boosts partner hubs

Delta Air Lines has a joint venture with Air France, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic. With hubs in Paris, Amsterdam, and London, respectively, Delta is adding more frequencies on several routes to these partner hubs. Amsterdam and London are proving to be the big winners. The schedule changes were seen at Cirium and confirmed on the airline's website.

Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) is a hub for partner KLM. Delta has filed increases on several routes to AMS. From Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Delta will start operating a second weekly flight early, with service starting from May 21st with one daily service on the Airbus A330-900neo and the other on the A330-300.

From Minneapolis/St. Paul International Airport (MSP), Delta will add new frequencies to AMS, with a second daily flight starting on May 5th and three additional weekly frequencies (for a total of 17 flights per week) starting from June 1st. Service will be operated with a mix of Airbus A330neo, A330-200, and A330-300 aircraft.

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Delta's Airbus A330-900neo aircraft feature the airline's latest Delta One Suite product in business class. Photo: Delta Air Lines

London Heathrow Airport (LHR) is a hub for Virgin Atlantic, though it is also one of the top destinations for American business and leisure travelers in Europe. From BOS, Delta will increase frequencies to daily from April 10th. From Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Delta will start a second daily flight from May 5th. MSP will see a boost with daily service resuming from April 10th.

Lastly, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) will see a step-up of service to daily flights from April 1st, and then 12 weekly flights will start from May 2nd. Service from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) will be suspended through April, but service will resume from May 5th. Instead of five flights per week, Delta will operate daily flights between these two cities.All flights to LHR will operate on Boeing 767-400ER aircraft.

The last partner hub is Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG). While Air France has outlined its summer 2022 network to the US, Delta will increase frequencies on its Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) to CDG route from April 10th. Flights will operate daily with an Airbus A330-900neo, up from four weekly operations.

Changes on other transatlantic routes

Delta has added some other incremental transatlantic service. Lisbon Airport (LIS) will see more service from New York City's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) than previously planned. From April 10th, Delta will increase flights to daily operations using a Boeing 767-300ER. Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO) will see twice-daily service this summer from JFK. However, Delta has decided to add the second daily flight earlier than planned.

Flights will start from May 5th with two daily flights on Airbus A330-300s. On the same day, Delta will also increase its flights to Brussels Airport (BRU) from JFK from five weekly flights to daily service using a Boeing 767-300ER. Lastly, Delta Air Lines will be adding more flights to its service to Edinburgh Airport (EDI). Flights will operate daily using Boeing 767-300ER aircraft, up from five weekly operations from May 26th.

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Delta views its Boeing 767-300ERs as flexible aircraft for adding service to Europe if demand is strong. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying 

DTW will also see expanded transatlantic service. From May 5th, Delta will increase its flights to Munich Airport (MUC) from four weekly services to daily flights using a Boeing 767-300ER. On May 6th, it will add more flights to Frankfurt Airport (FRA), going from five weekly services to daily flights. Delta will use an Airbus A330-200 to serve this German city.

There are some cuts. In May, Delta Air Lines will operate daily flights between JFK and Athens International Airport (ATH). It previously filed 11 weekly flights on this route. From July onwards, JFK to Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP) will go down from 14 weekly operations to 12 weekly operations. To Africa, Delta Air Lines has delayed the resumption of its JFK to Lagos' Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) to May 5th. Meanwhile, flights from ATL to Johannesburg's O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) will remain at three weekly operations through May.

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Delta Air Lines will focus much of its long-haul international network around transatlantic service this summer. Photo: Getty Images

Transatlantic reigns supreme

US carriers primarily focus on bulking up flights between the US and Europe from May through early September. Seasonal service to cities like Venice, Nice, Lisbon, Athens, and Stockholm typically run during this season as Americans take advantage of summer holidays and warm weather in Europe to organize their travels. Delta will participate heavily in these seasonal leisure markets while also bulking up flights to other cities.

Delta had revealed its transatlantic schedule in November. However, it has continued to tweak its flights as it sees fit. Coming closer to the start of travel, expanded service to partner hubs is more likely than flights to other destinations. Through Amsterdam or Paris, Delta can sell onward connections to secondary points in Europe like Bucharest, Malaga, and Geneva and flights to points in Africa, the Middle East, and India, giving Delta some more cushion for filling its planes at higher yields.