Delta’s longest nonstop routes with the A350-900 originate from three main hubs: Atlanta, Los Angeles, and Detroit. Its two longest flights are from Atlanta to Johannesburg (7,333 nautical miles) and Cape Town (7,065 nautical miles). Other significant routes include Los Angeles to Melbourne (6,883 nm), Sydney (6,507 nm), Brisbane (6,223 nm), Atlanta to Seoul (6,215 nm), Detroit to Shanghai Pudong (6,202 nm), Atlanta to Tokyo Haneda (5,981 nm), Detroit to Seoul (5,767 nm), and Los Angeles to Auckland (5,651 nm).
Johannesburg is currently Delta’s longest active route but not its all-time record; that distinction belongs to the former Atlanta-Mumbai service operated briefly between 2008 and 2009 using a Boeing 777-200LR.
The South African routes have evolved over time. Johannesburg service began in 2006 with a Boeing 767-300ER requiring a refueling stop in Dakar before becoming nonstop with the introduction of the A350-900. Cape Town flights shifted from New York JFK via Dakar on older aircraft to current nonstop service from Atlanta starting in 2022. Both routes operate multiple times weekly depending on seasonal demand but are limited by a bilateral agreement between the US and South Africa restricting combined frequencies for US carriers—a cap shared with United Airlines.
In Oceania, Delta competes directly with Qantas, American Airlines, and United Airlines on transpacific services such as Los Angeles-Sydney—a route it flies daily and increases during peak season. Seasonal services include Los Angeles-Brisbane and a new Los Angeles-Melbourne flight launching December 3rd. Auckland service began in 2023 but was reduced due to low winter demand.
East Asia represents another major region for Delta’s long-haul network using the A350-900. Four of its ten longest flights go there: twice-daily Atlanta-Seoul Incheon service offers high seat volume; Detroit-Shanghai Pudong is another key route; while flights from Atlanta-Tokyo Haneda and Detroit-Seoul round out this segment. Starting June 2026, Delta plans a new Los Angeles-Hong Kong route at over 6,295 nautical miles.
Looking ahead, Delta will begin receiving Airbus A350-1000s next year—aircraft offering greater range and capacity than current models. These jets will feature layouts that are more than half premium seating and may be deployed on high-demand or slot-constrained routes such as London Heathrow or Tokyo Haneda. There is also speculation about possible new ultra-long-haul services following recent partnerships with IndiGo and Riyadh Air—potentially restoring direct flights to India or opening routes to Saudi Arabia.
"Delta would like to fly to both South African cities daily, and add flights from JFK as well."
"However, it is limited by the bilateral agreement between the US and South Africa that limits the number of flights to 23 weekly frequencies."
"If this could be expanded to an open skies agreement, we could expect a lot more of these ultra-long-haul flights from the US East Coast..."
"There will also be another major change next year when Delta is scheduled to start taking delivery of the first of its order for 20 Airbus A350-1000s."
"This... suggests that the -1000s might be applied to highly trafficked and high-yielding markets..."
"There is also an expectation that the -1000s will be used to support some of Delta's new partnerships."
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