Atlanta-based SkyTeam alliance carrier Delta Air Lines serves destinations on all six inhabited
continents. The airline's longest services take its Airbus A350-900s to cities in Asia,
Australia, and Africa. In today’s video, we'll take a closer look at these lengthy
services and just how long you can expect to be on one of Delta's widebody jets.
Some things to discuss before listing those long flights:
This list ranks routes currently operating, using straight line (great circle) distances.
As a result, it does not calculate the additional distance flown due
to airspace bans - particularly over Russia. As a result, true rankings may be different,
with flight times giving a better sense in the current operating environment.
Unsurprisingly, all five of Delta's longest routes utilize the A350-900, the carrier's flagship type.
In terms of next-generation widebody aircraft currently in the fleet,
the airline is limited to the A330-900 and the A350-900.
In May 2020, we reported that the airline made the decision to retire
its entire fleet of Boeing 777-200LRs. These 18 aircraft were used on some of
the airline's longest services but were phased out as a cost-reduction
strategy due to the severity of COVID-19 travel restrictions and the impact on travel that year.
Planespotters.net notes that the last of Delta's Boeing 777s exited the fleet in October 2020,
with some of these aircraft being acquired by Mammoth Freighters for conversion to cargo jets.
Considering the fact that the A330-900 has a published range of 13,334 km (8,285 miles),
it's conceivable that Delta's 'other' new widebody could comfortably operate routes
#4 and #5. Still, the airline has opted for the higher-capacity A350.
At #5 is the flight from Detroit to Shanghai Pudong (DL388/389)
The Direct distance for this non-stop service is 11,486 km (7,137 miles).
Its Average duration outbound is 14 hours and 42 minutes while the
return flight to Detroit is 13 hours and 06 minutes on average.
The flight numbers for this service are rather confusing as DL388 and 389 are also
used for other services, such as San Diego-New York, San Francisco-Atlanta, and many more.
This service in its current form will undoubtedly be longer than flights of
the past. That's because, instead of taking the polar route, Delta must take the quote-unquote
'long way around,' as US carriers are banned from using Russian airspace.
This service to China was first announced in 2009, initially utilizing the Boeing
747-400. As per Travel Daily Media, Delta’s CEO at the time, Richard Anderson, stated,
“we want to affirm the importance of China to our global network and to launch the brand here,”
​​​This service launched as a daily service,
although at the moment it appears to be operating just a few times per week.
Launched in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis, Sandeep Bahl,
general manager of Delta Air Lines China, told China Daily,
"The Chinese business has excellent potential for growth and that is why
we are adding new flights...While the financial crisis does pose
difficulties, it also offers excellent opportunities for the Chinese market"
The fourth longest non-stop flight is Atlanta to Seoul Incheon (flights DL26/27)
The Direct distance for this city-pair is 11,512 km (7,153 miles)
The Average duration outbound is 14 hours and 40 minutes
while the Average flight duration inbound is 13 hours and 09 minutes.
Initially operated by the Boeing 777-200LR,
Delta's Atlanta-Seoul service began in 2017. The service complemented
the existing Seoul-Atlanta flights being operated by fellow SkyTeam alliance member
Korean Air. Experiencing much more demand than Detroit-Shanghai, flights DL26/27 operate daily.
At #3 is Los Angeles - Sydney (flights DL41/42)
The Direct distance for this route is 12,049 km (7,487 miles)
The Average duration outbound is 14 hours and 54 minutes,
while it takes an average of 13 hours and 18 minutes to return to Los Angeles.
Initially served by the Boeing 777-200LR, an article by eTurbo News notes that the carrier's
Los Angeles-Sydney route was launched in 2009. This made Delta the fourth carrier to serve this
city pair, joining Qantas, Virgin Australia, and United Airlines. Additionally, Delta's service to
Australia made it the only US carrier at the time to offer service to all six inhabited continents.
“Australia is a very important market for Delta as we expand our global network,” Steven Crowdey,
Australian general manager​​ of Delta Air Lines said in 2009.
At #2 is the carrier’s Atlanta - Cape Town service, (flight DL210/211)
This flight sees a Direct distance of 13,079 km (8,127 miles) with an
Average duration outbound of 14 hours and 01 minute.
Returning to Atlanta from the South African city,
the flight has an average duration of 15 hours and 56 minutes!
*Just like the airline's Detroit-Shanghai service, Delta also shares this flight
number with other services. Indeed, DL210/211 has also been used New York-Prague services.
One of the newer non-stop routes on this list,
Delta's service from Atlanta to Cape Town was launched in December 2022. The airline has
also served Cape Town as a multi-stop service that includes Johannesburg.
As reported by South African media outlet Gateway,
Paul Hassenstab, Delta’s Director of Sales for the region, stated last year that the airline
was already seeing quote "tremendous demand" for flights to South Africa.
He goes on to say: "...adding our gateway to the country with
our Cape Town service is proving popular as our customers seek new experiences."
In just a year, the carrier had quote "increased capacity to South Africa by a staggering 67%,
contributing to the recovery of the tourism sector in Cape Town and the region overall."
Finally, in first place is Delta’s Atlanta - Johannesburg service (flight DL200/201)
This sees a Direct distance of 13,572 km (8,433 miles).
In terms of duration, the flight to Johannesburg is 14 hours and 26 minutes on average,
while the return to Atlanta takes an average of 15 hours and 52 minutes.
Launched in December 2006, the airline's longest current route is its service between
Atlanta and the major South African city of Johannesburg. Heading to the United States,
flight DL201 has taken over 16 hours to complete.
This stated flight duration of this daily service is an average of numerous iterations
of the same service and thus could be longer in some cases. Additionally,
time spent boarding and deplaning are undoubtedly excluded from flight duration. Thus,
if there's one Delta flight worth splurging for an upgrade on, it could very well be this route!
So What do you think of Delta Air Lines' current longest routes? What's the longest
flight you've had with the airline? Share your thoughts and experiences by leaving a comment!