Delta Air Lines will launch two new overseas routes in 2025. One will take passengers to Europe and the other to Asia.
On the transatlantic front, the Atlanta-based airline will build on plans for its largest summer itinerary to Europe with a new nonstop flight from its Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport (MSP) hub to Copenhagen Airport (CPH).
Delta said the move is largely due to its recent codeshare agreement with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS), following that airline’s switch from Star Alliance. to SkyTeam in September.
Meanwhile, Delta will resume nonstop service next summer from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG) for the first time since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This will bolster limited air service between the US and China, which remains well below 2019 levels.
Here’s what you should know about this new service.
New service between MSP and Denmark
Delta’s first flight from its MSP hub to CPH will take off in May 2025, the airline shared on Friday.
The airline will fly the route three times a week with an Airbus A330-300 aircraft, modernized with its three-cabin configuration with Delta One suites and its Premium Select product.
Ties with SAS are strengthened
In announcing the new service, Delta executives noted the airline’s recent alliance with SAS. SAS officially became a partner of SkyTeam in September after the Air France-KLM group acquired a minority stake in the company.
“This route creates an invaluable connection between two important SkyTeam partner hubs, providing unparalleled connectivity and travel options for customers traveling between Scandinavia and North America,” said Delta Senior Vice President of Network Planning Joe Esposito in a statement on Friday.
Since joining SkyTeam, SAS has increased its presence in major Delta hubs, including new service from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York City and a Return to the Pacific Northwest.
Plus, you can now book SAS award flights using Delta SkyMiles.
Big European plans for summer 2025
This Copenhagen route will also bolster Delta’s already packed transatlantic plans for summer 2025.
The Minneapolis to Copenhagen trip will give Delta seven nonstop European calls from the hub city next summer. This includes flights to Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO), which Delta revealed during its recent unveiling. its busiest summer schedule to date for 2025.
Between June and August of next year, Delta will operate around 5% more seats to Europe than in an already busy 2024, according to data from aviation analysis firm Cirium.
Delta slowly reintroduces service in China
Delta said Friday that, pending government approval, its service from Los Angeles to Shanghai will return sometime next June.
Delta has not flown this route since early 2020, after operating more than 300 round trips between the two cities in 2019.
However, the drop in service to China goes beyond Delta.
Air service to China is below 2019 levels
Air service between the US and China has remained well below pre-pandemic levels. This is due to a combination of geopolitical uncertainty, lower demand and logistical challenges arising from airlines needing to avoid Russian airspace amid that country’s war in Ukraine.
In 2024, the total number of seats between the US and China (among all airlines) is down 75% compared to 2019 levels, Cirium data shows.
Rebound in 2025
However, additional service will be coming soon. In the first half of 2025, seats to China on Delta, American Airlines and United Airlines will increase more than 90%, year over year, according to Cirium.
Delta’s only service in China in recent years has included nonstop flights to Shanghai from Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) and Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA).
This new route will mean a third connection between the US and China for the airline and a total of 17 weekly flights between both countries.
LAX-PVG Details
Delta plans to fly the route three times a week with an Airbus A350. Delta One passengers on those flights will be eligible to use the new, exclusive Delta One Lounge inside Terminal 3 at LAXwhich just opened on Thursday.
The 10,000-square-foot facility features a dedicated check-in room and Transportation Security Administration checkpoint.
Related reading:
