As the first month of the aviation winter season rapidly approaches, we see that Delta will be the United States' second-largest airline next month. It'll have around 127,258 flights in November, behind American's 170,948 but ahead of United's 124,241 and Southwest's 99,635. However, Delta is at 'only' 83% of November 2019 movements and has recovered the least of the group.

What's Delta doing this November?

Naturally, the lion's share of Delta's flights will involve Atlanta. With more than three in ten movements (34.7%), Atlanta will be significantly more dominant than the others in the top-five category: Detroit (14.2%), Minneapolis (13.7%), Salt Lake City (11.1%), and LaGuardia (9.3%). This is based on examining schedules information available through data experts Cirium.

Of these five airports, only Salt Lake has reached pre-pandemic movement volume; it is slightly above what it had two years ago. In contrast, Atlanta has just over eight in ten flights back and remains the most affected.

In all, Delta will serve 268 airports, Cirium shows. This network breadth is very comprehensive, although less than American and United, but, as you'd expect, well over twice as extensive as Southwest's. Delta will see around 730 routes, but what are the top-15?

Delta CRJ-900
Delta is also expected to run some additional regional jet-operated flights to keep its slot position intact. Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

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Delta's top-15 domestic routes

Looking at the number of flights is one way of measuring 'output' or what is supplied to the market, with others including seats for sale, available seat miles (distance x number of seats), and available tonne miles (distance x tonnes). Those that include distance mean pretty different results with less focus on Atlanta; they'll be examined another time.

This November, the 762-mile (1,226km) link from Atlanta to LaGuardia will have more flights than any other Delta route, partly indicating the recovering business demand. It'll have up to 14 departures each way, each day, with the 191-A321ceo operating virtually all to make the most of limited slots at the New York airport. Delta is one of four airlines on the airport pair, alongside American, Frontier, and Southwest.

  • Atlanta to LaGuardia: approximately 799 flights in total (divide by two for each way)
  • Atlanta to Orlando: 778
  • Atlanta to Boston: 683
  • Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale: 626
  • Atlanta to Tampa: 625
  • Atlanta to Los Angeles: 621
  • Boston to LaGuardia: 575
  • Atlanta to Minneapolis: 571
  • Atlanta to Raleigh Durham: 566
  • Atlanta to Washington National: 564
  • Atlanta to Charleston: 556
  • Atlanta to Jacksonville: 556
  • Atlanta to Detroit: 540
  • Chicago O'Hare to LaGuardia: 528
  • Atlanta to Newark: 524
Delta's top-15 routes in November 2021
This shows Delta's top-15 routes by November flights. Most of them were also in the list in 2019, including business-driven Boston to LaGuardia, just now at a lower frequency. However, two years ago, Atlanta to Orlando was first. Image: GCMap.

What's happening internationally?

Delta plans over 8,000 round trip international flights in November, just over six in ten (62.3%) of what it had two years ago. Nine US airports have international service, down from 16. Most of those now without it will return in 2022, including Cincinnati, Honolulu, Orlando, and Portland. Orlando will welcome Panama City but it lost Amsterdam.

Only LaGuardia has exceeded international pre-COVID output, Cirium shows. This is for one reason. While Delta doesn't now link the New York airport to Ottawa or Montreal (but Montreal will return in 2022), it serves Toronto Pearson – a route that started in September 2021 – at a higher frequency than Ottawa/Montreal were combined.

What are your thoughts on Delta's November network? Let us know in the comments.