Historically, Delta Air Lines has shied away from ultra long haul flights, with a limited number of exceptions. However, that’s slowly starting to change. Delta recently launched flights to Hong Kong (HKG), and Riyadh (RUH) flights are expected soon as well.
A few months back, Delta revealed in a regulatory filing that it plans to launch yet another route to Asia. The airline has now shared internally that this route is in fact launching next year, and a formal announcement is expected next week.
Delta confirms 2027 launch for flights to Manila, Philippines
In late October 2025, a Delta executive revealed to employees internally that the airline plans to add flights to Singapore (SIN) and Manila (MNL), though stopped short of providing a timeline for the launch, or sharing out of which airport the airline would add this service.
Then in March 2026, Delta submitted a filing to the Department of Transportation (DOT), in reference to Philippine Airlines’ plans to fly to Chicago (ORD), which have since been approved. In this filing, the airline revealed that starting in the summer of 2027, it plans to launch daily Manila flights out of Los Angeles (LAX), using the Airbus A350:
Delta respectfully urges the Department to defer action on PAL’s application until Delta’s entry is assured by the Philippine Government.
Delta does not oppose PAL’s requested authority in principle. Delta recognizes that expanded service between the United States and the Philippines can provide public benefits, including enhanced consumer choice and increased trade and tourism between the two countries.
Delta is likewise committed to advancing these same public interest objectives. In furtherance of that goal, Delta is pursuing plans to launch its own Manila service next summer (2027) with daily Airbus A350-900 service from Los Angeles. Delta’s service would provide additional competition, new routing options, and expanded connectivity for US and Philippine consumers alike.
One certainly wondered if this was a bluff or not, but the airline has now confirmed internally that this route will in fact launch next year, and an announcement is expected to be made next week.
I’m curious to see how Delta’s Asia growth strategy plays out
It’s an interesting time for Delta when it comes to its Asia network:
- Historically, Delta’s Asia network has been based so heavily around routing passengers through Seoul Incheon (ICN) with connections on joint venture partner Korean Air, which means Delta’s actual list of nonstop Asia destinations has been very limited
- With Delta now taking delivery of a good number of long haul planes, including new “flagship” Airbus A350-1000 aircraft, the airline has big growth aspirations for the plane
- Delta’s West Coast strategy has been a challenge — for a while we saw the airline growing in Seattle (SEA), setting that up as a transpacific gateway, but that airport is pretty maxed out in terms of capacity, and Delta is in the number two spot behind Alaska; now we’re seeing Delta try to grow greatly in Los Angeles (LAX), which the airline sees as a “once in a generation” opportunity
- Los Angeles is probably the most competitive West Coast market among Asian carriers, and capacity is seemingly endless, and as a result, yields can be really rough; that’s why none of the “big three” carriers have been able to achieve a dominant position at the airport
I’m excited to see Delta’s long haul network get more interesting, but there’s no denying this strategy also faces some challenges. For one, US carriers have among the highest operating costs in the world for ultra long haul flights, given labor costs at US airlines.
Beyond that, it’s hard for Delta to be the leader across the Pacific, when they’re competing against United, which not only has a very well established network, but also has a mega hub in San Francisco (SFO), which has a scale that Delta simply can’t replicate in Los Angeles or Seattle.
The Manila route specifically is also interesting, given that Philippine Airlines is joining the oneworld alliance, so might become a more competitive option for some. For that matter, the airline is also improving its passenger experience in premium cabins, with new planes and seats. United also added San Francisco to Manila flights in late 2023, though United is also a lot further along when it comes to the size of its Asia route network, and San Francisco is also a much bigger hub for the airline.
So we’ll see how this plays out. Admittedly airline economics have changed over the years, and routes no longer need to be wildly profitable directly, but instead, loyalty programs are also a big consideration. But still, I’m curious to see how this whole Asia network growth plays out for Delta.
Bottom line
Delta has confirmed that in the summer of 2027, it plans to launch daily nonstop flights between Los Angeles and Manila, and the expectation is that the flight will be announced next week.
Frankly, I’m excited to see Delta grow across the Pacific, given that United basically had Asia to itself among the “big three” US carriers, in terms of the size of its network. However, I’m just not convinced that Delta has a winning strategy here, at least in terms of this being profitable in the long run.
What do you make of Delta’s Manila plans?