Delta Airlines to start flying to Auckland, New Zealand for the first time

Delta Airlines has announced that it will start flying to Auckland, New Zealand for the first time.

Kia Ora, New Zealand!

Starting 28th October 2023, Delta Airlines will fly daily between Los Angeles’ Tom Bradley International Airport and Auckland International Airport. The flights will operate with the following schedule:

• Los Angeles-Auckland
• Departure time: 22:30
• Arrival time: 07:35 (+2 days)
• Flight time: 13 hours and 05 minutes
• Flight number: DL65
• Frequency: Daily

• Auckland-Los Angeles
• Departure time: 14:00
• Arrival time: 06:05
• Flight time: 12 hours and 05 minutes
• Flight number: DL64
• Frequency: Daily

Flights will be operated by the airline’s Airbus A350-900 aircraft featuring 32 Delta One Suites (Business Class seats), 48 Premium Select seats (Premium Economy seats), 36 Delta Comfort+ seats (extra-legroom Economy Class seats) and 190 Main cabin seats (standard Economy Class seats).

LAX continues to grow its global network of destinations that are connecting Angelenos to every corner of the globe, and Delta’s addition of nonstop service from Los Angeles to New Zealand is in lockstep with the airline’s commitment to expand and improve service to our region. Coupled with Delta’s international additions to Sydney and Tahiti, this is another exciting result of the ongoing and strong collaboration between LAX and Delta Air Lines as we connect more people across the Pacific and beyond.

said Justin Erbacci, Chief Executive Officer, Los Angeles World Airports.

Auckland joins other new Los Angeles service to Tahiti, Paris and London-Heathrow and will complement the airline’s current service from Los Angeles to Sydney, where it operates 10 flights per week in the winter and also a daily service to Tokyo-Haneda.

The Atlanta-based airline operates more than 150 daily flights from Los Angeles to 53 destinations across the globe.

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Expansion from its biggest hub

The airline will deepen its investment in Atlanta this year with new daily service from Atlanta to Nice starting 12th May 2023. This new route, which will operate on a Boeing B767 aircraft, marks the first time that Delta will connect customers between Atlanta and the coastal French city in over a decade.

As of 16th April 2023, Delta will up its Atlanta to Tel Aviv service to daily. With this increased flying, Delta is operating its busiest schedule ever to Tel Aviv, with flights departing from three U.S. cities: Atlanta, New York and Boston.

Improved New York connectivity

Delta is bolstering its presence in New York by adding a third daily flight from New York-JFK to Paris, which will begin on 25th May 2023 and operate on a Boeing B767 aircraft. Delta offers nearly 60 peak-day departures to more than 43 international destinations from its New York-JFK hub. The third flight to Paris is in addition to Delta’s new service to Geneva and London-Gatwick, the return of Berlin and a third flight to Rome.

With more than 1,750 weekly flights to 85 destinations around the globe this summer, Delta is well positioned to deliver on its plans to fully restore its network in 2023. With brand-new flights this year to cities like Auckland, Geneva and London-Gatwick, we’re giving customers more options to enjoy the premium experience and elevated hospitality they have come to know and expect from us.

said Joe Esposito, Senior Vice President – Network Planning, Delta Airlines.

Auckland is a competitive route

Los Angeles-Auckland is a competitive route. Delta will compete with Air New Zealand on this route, which operates twice-daily flights, timed similarly to that of Delta’s. Delta’s new flight will provide a 30% capacity boost (approximately) in terms of total seats on offer between Los Angeles and Auckland.

Other U.S. airlines that operate flights to the Kiwi country are United and American Airlines from their respective hubs – San Francisco and Dallas.

Featured image by Delta Airlines

What do you think of Delta’s new long-haul destination – Auckland, New Zealand? Let me know in the comments section below.

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