Delta Air Lines is bidding farewell to London’s second-busiest airport.
The Atlanta-based airline confirmed on Tuesday that it will not return to London Gatwick (LGW) in 2026, choosing instead to focus on its larger Heathrow (LHR) hub in the region.
Delta has previously operated flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Gatwick during the summer.
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But as industry observer Ishrion Aviation first reported, those flights will not return next year.
A Delta spokesperson said in a statement to TPG on Tuesday that the move was intended to “align our flights with market demand,” and reiterated that the airline will continue to offer two daily flights between JFK and Heathrow from April to October.
JFK to Gatwick is a niche route for Delta and an increasingly unicorn among the dozens of daily flights between the U.S. and London.
This is Delta’s only route to the smaller London airport, which is located south of the city and is a frequent departure airport for travelers booking intra-European flights (Gatwick is the largest base for British low-cost carrier EasyJet).
Read more: Delta Air Lines cuts two domestic routes, including one from Atlanta and one from Salt Lake City
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In contrast, Heathrow is a major international gateway and a global hub for Delta Air Lines’ SkyTeam partner Virgin Atlantic.
Airlines cancel US-Gatwick flights
Delta is not the only airline to cancel Gatwick flights recently.
British Airways will end direct Gatwick services to JFK and Las Vegas in 2026, according to flight schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
JetBlue has also scaled back its operations at Gatwick in recent years. The airline no longer serves LGW from JFK.
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In the first half of 2026, the total number of flights between the United States and LGW will be more than 25% lower than in 2025.
However, some routes from Gatwick will remain:
- Norwegian Atlantic flies to Gatwick from JFK and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
- British Airways still connects Orlando International Airport (MCO) and Tampa International Airport (TPA) to its smaller UK hubs.
- JetBlue Airways maintains Gatwick service from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).
bottom line
While travelers may be reluctant to see any London routes disappear, the list of daily routes between the US and Heathrow is long and LHR is undoubtedly the best UK hub connecting passengers to other global destinations.
For its part, Delta will continue to fly nonstop to Heathrow from all but one of its international hubs (Los Angeles International Airport).
Elsewhere, the airline has also added a number of tempting new European destinations next summer, including new direct flights to Porto, Portugal; Malta; and Sardinia, Italy.
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