Delta Air Lines’ Longest Nonstop Airbus A350-900 Routes in 2025

Introduction

Delta Air Lines, the only U.S. operator of the Airbus A350, debuted the aircraft in October 2017, replacing the Boeing 747-400 on its route from Detroit to Tokyo Narita. Currently, the airline’s A350-900 fleet has expanded to 38 aircraft, with six more on order. These aircraft serve as Delta’s flagship due to their large capacity and long range, making them ideal for the airline’s longest routes.

Delta’s Airbus A350-900 Fleet

A significant portion of Delta’s 38 A350-900s were delivered from Airbus under an order of 25 aircraft. The initial aircraft followed a ‘359’ cabin configuration with 32 Delta One, 48 Premium Select, and 226 economy seats. More recent deliveries feature a ’35H’ configuration, which increases Delta One seats to 40, reduces the total seat count to 275, and enhances the premium offering to meet growing demand.

The ’35L’ configuration originates from A350s acquired from LATAM Airlines during its bankruptcy in 2020. Initially lacking Delta’s superior features, these are undergoing modification to the ’35H’ setup. As of now, two more conversions remain, with the final flight in the ’35L’ configuration scheduled for October 25.

Delta’s Top 10 Longest Routes

While Delta operates from nine U.S. hubs, its longest A350-900 routes start from three: Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Detroit. The Atlanta hub launches routes to Johannesburg and Cape Town, among others, which are some of its longest.

Historical Context and Future Plans

Currently, Atlanta to Johannesburg is the longest, but this was surpassed by a historic Atlanta to Mumbai route spanning 7,395 nautical miles, flown from 2008-2009 with a Boeing 777-200LR. Looking forward, Delta plans to utilize the incoming Airbus A350-1000 to introduce even longer routes due to its larger capacity and range. Potential destinations include high-traffic locations like London and Tokyo, or growing markets like Mumbai and Riyadh following new strategic partnerships.

South African Routes

Delta’s routes to Johannesburg and Cape Town epitomize its longest flights. Originally, the Johannesburg route started in 2006 with a Boeing 767 that refueled in Dakar, but now the A350-900 makes it nonstop. The Cape Town service, which began in 2022, adjusts frequencies seasonally and aims for expansion, limited only by current U.S.-South Africa flight agreements.

Oceania Routes

Los Angeles serves as Delta’s cornerstone for its Oceania network, with routes to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Auckland. The Sydney connection boasts daily service with increased summer frequency to 11 times weekly. In 2023, Delta started a successful seasonal route to Brisbane and plans to launch a Melbourne service this upcoming December.

East Asian Routes

Four East Asian destinations mark Delta’s longest A350 routes, with Seoul as the central focus. Delta’s airport partner, Korean Air, facilitates connectivity through Incheon Airport. The airline offers extensive service from five U.S. hubs, with Atlanta-to-Seoul being the highest traffic route. Shanghai and Tokyo add strategic variety, with future services possibly extending to Hong Kong come 2026 as Delta expands with its new A350-1000s.