Delta Air Lines will launch its only Persian Gulf route in October 2026.
The Atlanta-based SkyTeam airline will launch new service from its hub at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport (ATL) in Atlanta to King Khalid International Airport (RUH) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Yes, Saudi Arabia.
The new RUH route will be flown by one of Delta’s Airbus A350-900 aircraft, equipped with Delta One Business Class Suites as well as Premium Economy, Extended Economy and Economy Class seats.
A Delta spokesman said more details about the new routes, including when tickets will go on sale, will be released at a later date.
According to Great Circle Mapper, based on the current schedule, the new ATL-RUH route will also be the fourth longest route on Delta’s map, with a total length of 7,283 miles.
The Middle East route is the latest intercontinental route added by Delta Air Lines in 2026. These include Hong Kong International Airport (HKG), Malta International Airport (MLA), Porto Airport (OPO) and Olbia Emerald Airport (SLB) in Sardinia, Italy. The airline has also added a number of new routes to existing destinations.
The RUH flights are also the latest sign of Delta Air Lines moving closer to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Delta has long been a partner of Saudi Arabian Airlines, the country’s flag carrier, and in 2024 announced a new strategic partnership with Riyadh Airways, the country’s start-up flag carrier.
Riyadh, led by former Etihad Airways chief executive Tony Douglas, aims to fulfill a dual mission: to increase the number of tourists to Saudi Arabia and capture a piece of the lucrative connecting traffic between Europe and Asia. The airline conducted a trial operation on 26 October with its first flights from RUH to London Heathrow (LHR); these flights were necessary to maintain its use-it-or-lose LHR slots and were temporarily for staff use only.
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A Delta Air Lines spokesperson said they plan to codeshare with Riyadh Airways on the new ATL-RUH route.
American and United both serve hubs in the region from their Gulf partners Qatar Airways and Emirates. The former flies from Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) to Doham Hamad International Airport (DOH), and the latter flies from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) to Dubai International Airport (DXB).
Delta’s new RUH flights will be the first by a U.S. airline to Saudi Arabia since the now-defunct Trans World Airlines ended flights there in 2001. Later that year, the airline merged with American Airlines.
A Delta spokesman said any potential financial subsidies from the Saudi government for Delta’s new routes “have not yet been finalized.”
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