With travel demand for Europe skyrocketing, Delta will now be adding nonstop flight routes to two additional destinations across the pond from early next year.
Showing they’re in tune with current trends, the American carrier will help their customers reach both the Amalfi Coast, one of Italy’s most sought-after vacation spots, and Ireland’s rugged West Coast a lot quicker, without layovers in intermediate hubs.
Recently, Italy and Ireland were ranked two of the most popular European destinations for US passengers, owing it to these countries’ inestimable cultural value and the strong cultural ties shared between them and North America.
Here is everything you need to know about the launch and what else Delta is planning for summer 2024:
New York to Naples (NAP)
Adding to competition on one of the busiest Transatlantic routes, Delta will be finally adding nonstop daily flights to Naples, Italy, from their primary hub at New York (JFK).
At the moment, the only other American-based carriers to fly to Naples are United, which operates from its Newark hub, and American Airlines serving Philadelphia, leaving Delta with a potentially profitable market to explore.
Beginning May 23, 2024 and ending October 25, 2024, faithful Delta customers will have the option to fly with their preferred airline to Italy’s trendiest summer spot, under the following schedule:
- Flight DL232 departs from New York at 4:50 PM, arriving in Naples 8:00 AM on the following day
- Flight D233 departs from Naples at 10:00 AM, arriving back to New York at 2:05 PM on the same calendar date
Delta has deployed a Boeing 767-300ER on this route, at a travel duration of 9h10 eastbound and 10h05 returning home.
This will be Delta’s only flight to Naples, the largest city in Southern mainland Italy and the gateway to the wider Campania region, as well as the picturesque Amalfi Coast.
What To See In Campania
Naples is classed as a vibrant city break, notorious for its rich culinary heritage – it is the birthplace of Neapolitan pizza, Buffalo Mozzarella, mussel soup, and countless other Italian delicacies – and state-of-the-art museums and galleries.
Some of the top cultural exhibits to explore in Naples include the Naples Archaeological Museum, where well-preserved fragments of the Pompeii tragedy are exposed, and other historically-significant artifacts, the Donnaregina Contemporary Art Museum, and the Baroque Palazzo Zevallos Stigliano.
Many travelers use Naples as a base for exploring the region of Campania, best known for its bucolic Amalfi Coast, a rugged coastal drive where pebbly, clear-water beaches are interspersed with Instagrammable pastel-colored Italian towns.
The ruins of Pompeii and Herculanum, two ancient Roman cities destroyed by a volcanic eruption, with the active Vesuvius as a backdrop, can also be visited from Naples, with day tours departing daily from central Naples.
New York to Shannon (SNN)
Further boosting their operations out of JFK, Delta will be re-initiating flights to Shannon, the largest airport on the West Coast of Ireland.
This is great news for New Yorkers who wish to trace their origins in Ireland, as a majority of Irish migrants to the States in the late 19th and 20th centuries in fact hail from the Western half of the country, which suffered the brunt of English colonialism.
Similarly to the Naples route, the air bridge to Shannon will open on May 23, 2024, though flights are being grounded earlier on October 6, as unlike Italy, Ireland is not exactly known for its long, scorching summers and balmy fall season.
The schedule is as follows:
- Flight DL232 departs from New York at 10:55 PM, arriving in Shannon 10:00 AM on the following day
- Flight DL285 departs from Shannon at 11:55 PM, arriving back to New York (JFK) at 2:25 PM on the same calendar date
Due to the proximity between Ireland and the mainland U.S. the flight is a lot shorter than New York-Naples, totalling only 6h15 eastbound, and 7h30 westbound.
For this route, Delta has enlisted their Boeing 7757-200.
Sadly for Delta Business customers, Delta One will not be available on this route, though the domestically-configured Boeing 757 will include a Premium Select cabin with extra legroom and adjustable leg and footrest.
What To See On Ireland’s West Coast
The West Coast of Ireland is best known for its dramatic scenery.
Dubbed the ‘Wild Atlantic Way‘, it is filled with traditional coastal villages, imposing medieval fortresses, and areas of outstanding natural beauty, such as the Burren, a vast expanse of glacial-era limestone that will make you feel as if you’re walking on the surface of the Moon.
The city of Galway, known for its colorful Latin Quarter, Irish folk festivals and youthful atmosphere is a short one-hour drive from Shannon Airport, while Limerick, the third largest city in the Republic of Ireland, home to the landmark King John’s Castle, is only half an hour away.
Where Else Is Delta Flying Next Summer?
Furthermore, Delta is adding flights three times a week from JFK to Munich, the Bavarian capital in Germany, as well as running a four-times-weekly service from Atlanta to Zurich, the largest city in Switzerland.
JFK-Munich will run from April 7 through October 24, while Atlanta-Zurich starts May 31, ending sooner on September 8.
There is more: besides the new exciting routes, the airline is increasing frequency in several popular long-haul markets.
Flying from Atlanta to Paris (CDG), Americans will have up to 21 flights weekly.
From Detroit, this has been bumped up to 14. From Atlanta to Venice (VCE), there will be 10 flights weekly, while Boston will see its Athens schedule rise to one per day.
Paris-bound flights from Cincinnati are increasing to 7 days a week next summer, too, and the Detroit-Reykjavik route is capping at 5 a week.
Meanwhile, the highly sought-after JFK-Barcelona will increase by a whopping 14 times a week.
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