Despite the rumors for several days, Delta Airlines will officially start serving Hong Kong next year.
The airline announced Wednesday that it will fly to Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) from its hub at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) on June 6, 2026. Delta will deploy its flagship Airbus A350-900 on the new 7,260-mile route. The aircraft is equipped with 40 Delta One Suites, 40 quality lounge chairs, 36 comfortable and comfortable + length seats and 159 standard economy seats.
Delta will offer 30 one-stop connection options for travelers from North America, hoping to travel to and from Hong Kong.
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Interestingly, this is not Delta’s first competition against Hong Kong. The airline was last passed Seattle’s uninterrupted service in 2018, but the airline pulled out of the market at the time due to weak demand and other factors.
Although the airline has been busy with the trans-Pacific connection from Seattle in recent years, Hong Kong services will return from Los Angeles. This is an interesting move, especially since United Airlines and home car company Cathay Pacific already offer many flights between the two cities. (At the same time, Seattle to Hong Kong has no human rights at the moment, and Alaska Airlines has the potential to include the city on its expansion list.)
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Perhaps Delta believes that the uninterrupted demand from Seattle to Hong Kong is not enough to make this uninterrupted route work. Of course, Delta also operates a large hub on Los Angeles International, but so are the other three largest airlines. Becoming the No. 1 airline in Los Angeles is much more difficult than being No. 1 airline in Seattle.
In addition to long-term expansion, Delta will add a domestic route that has never been operated before: Los Angeles International Airport to O’Hare International Airport (ORD) in Chicago. Three daily flights on the route will begin on June 7, 2026; the service will compete fiercely with flights operated by American Airlines and Manchester United, as well as flights from Folding Border Airlines and Spirit Airlines.
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Chicago and Los Angeles are both hubs for the United States and Manchester United, so adding the Delta will not only provide more options for travelers, but may also put more pressure on tough ultra-low-cost carriers.
With more services from network operators, ultra-low-cost discounts have recently struggled to fill the plane without a significant discount on tickets. Costs and a redesigned business model may be more difficult than ever, as Frontier and Spirit survive in the La-Chicago market.
“The launch of services to Hong Kong and Chicago from LAX has enhanced our presence in the two most dynamic markets in the world. As the largest global operator of LAX, we will continue to invest in customer-to-customer routes and provide the advanced travel experience they expect from Delta,” said Paul Baldoni of Delta, Paul Baldoni of Delta’s Advanced Networking Program.
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