Delta to Add 100 Daily Departures Out of NYC

Delta Air Lines this fall will increase its capacity out of New York City by 25 percent compared with the summer, with 100 additional daily departures out of LaGuardia Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The capacity is meant “to meet the significant demand for business and international travel going into next year,” according to Delta SVP of network planning Joe Esposito. Last week, the carrier reported that business travel demand had been growing since Labor Day, reaching just under 50 percent of pre-Covid-19 levels earlier this month.

The additional capacity will include “meaningful boosts” in frequencies to Boston; Washington’s Reagan National Airport; Raleigh-Durham, N.C.; and Charlotte, N.C., according to Delta. The carrier recently launched to Toronto from LaGuardia and will add new service to Worcester, Mass., from LaGuardia on Nov. 1.

International capacity also will increase in the coming months, with frequencies to Paris and London each doubled to twice a day and service to Dublin increased to daily on Dec. 6. In addition, Delta will resume direct service to Lagos three times per week on Dec. 7, resume nonstop service to Frankfurt on Dec. 13 and add a second daily flight to Tel Aviv on Dec. 18.

Delta’s capacity to Latin America and the Caribbean from New York will be 85 percent of pre-Covid-19 levels, with 20 daily flights to 18 destinations. That includes resuming service to both São Paulo, Brazil, and Los Cabos, Mexico, on Dec. 19, and increased service to both St. Thomas and St. Martin. The carrier also will launch new service from JFK to Panama City, Panama, on Dec. 20.

Delta announced a large expansion out of Boston earlier this month. It is facing increased competition in both markets from the new American Airlines/JetBlue alliance, though the alliance is currently facing a challenge from the U.S. Justice Department.