Delta Air Lines celebrates 45 years of transatlantic flights to Germany

Delta Air Lines marked a significant milestone this summer, celebrating 45 years since its inaugural transatlantic flight to Germany. The airline's first flight to Frankfurt in 1979 was operated by a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar, featuring 241 seats across three cabin classes: first class with sleeper seats, Medallion Service (business class), and economy class.

Currently, Delta operates the route using an Airbus A330 widebody aircraft that includes four cabin classes: Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+, and Main Cabin. Frankfurt Airport was not only the airline’s initial German destination but also played a pivotal role in expanding Delta's international network beyond the United States. Between 1991 and 1997, Frankfurt served as a hub for Delta after acquiring Pan Am's nonstop network to several cities including Athens, Mumbai, Budapest, New Delhi, Istanbul, Moscow, Prague (seasonal), Vienna, and Warsaw.

Over the years, Delta has expanded its services in Germany from one destination to four: Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER), Frankfurt International Airport (FRA), Munich Airport (MUC), and Stuttgart Airport (STR). The latter is serviced seasonally from Atlanta. Flights are offered not only from Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport but also from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport and Detroit International Airport.