dailynewsnblog
You will know by now that 
Delta Air Lines has finally confirmed that it will fly nonstop from 
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to Ninoy Aquino International Airport (MNL) in Manila. This very long route had been widely anticipated and is now official. Delta last served MNL in 2021, albeit on a one-stop basis from the US mainland.
The first nonstop service to Manila will lift off next March, and will join Delta’s 11 longest nonstop flights list. Two other new links are also on the list: LAX to 
Hong Kong International Airport (which started in June 2026) and 
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Riyadh (which will take off in October).
Delta’s 11 Longest Nonstop Flights
OAG data was used to examine the 
SkyTeam member’s network nonstop between August 2026 and March 2027. As usual with such analysis, the maximum block or scheduled time was used. Reflecting slot possession, this includes taxiing at both ends of a route, the flight time, and a period for short delays. It is chocks-off-to-chocks-on, or stand-to-stand or gate-to-gate, and is what’s shown in booking engines, in schedules, and so on.
The 11 longest links are summarized in the following table and shown on the subsequent interactive map. They exclude some particularly long sectors that will be served on a very limited basis for the Consumer Electronic Show (CES) in Las Vegas. For example, flights to HKG are timed at up to 15 hours and 55 minutes, while those to Taipei are up to 15 hours.
With a maximum block time exceeding 17 hours, Johannesburg back to ATL remains the longest market. It was primarily for this specific route that Delta launched the 275-seat Airbus A350-900 configuration. This is a more premium and lighter alternative, along with having a longer range, stronger take-off performance due to most aircraft having the 283-ton maximum take-off weight, and so on.
Maximum Block Time (August 2026 To March 2027)* | Direction Of Route With That Time | Delta’s Operations (August 2026 to March 2027)** |
|---|---|---|
17 hours and 05 minutes | Johannesburg back to ATL | Five weekly to daily; 275-seat A350-900 |
16 hours and 35 minutes | Cape Town back to ATL | Three weekly to five weekly; 275-seat A350-900 |
16 hours and 15 minutes |
| Daily; 275-seat and 306-seat A350-900 |
16 hours and 10 minutes | LAX to Melbourne | Three weekly to daily; 275-seat A350-900 |
16 hours and 00 minutes | ATL to Seoul Incheon | Two daily; 275-seat A350-900 |
15 hours and 45 minutes | LAX to HKG | New route (began June 6, 2026). Daily; 275-seat A350-900 |
15 hours and 35 minutes | Riyadh back to ATL | New route (starts October 23, 2026***). Initially served daily, but then three weekly; 275-seat A350-900 |
15 hours and 30 minutes | DTW to Seoul Incheon | Daily; 275-seat A350-900 |
15 hours and 20 minutes | LAX to Sydney | Daily to ten weekly; 275-seat A350-900 |
14 hours and 40 minutes | LAX to Brisbane | Three weekly; 275-seat A350-900 |
14 hours and 40 minutes | LAX to MNL | New route (begins March 28, 2027). Three weekly; 275-seat A350-900 |
* Even if only once | ** Known as of July 21, and subject to change *** From the US |
Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County AirportLoading map…
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A Look At Delta Between LAX And MNL
Delta is focusing on developing two things. First, it is pushing ahead with nonstop flights to Asia (and it is likely to resume flights to India at some point). Until now, a lot of the operations were via Tokyo or SkyTeam’s Seoul Incheon hub with joint venture partner Korean Air. Between August 2026 and next March, Delta has scheduled an average of 16 daily nonstop services to Asia. Its offering has risen by a tenth compared to the same period in 2025/2026. Second, Delta is really developing its presence at LAX. When all routes are considered, 12% more departures are now available from the largest West Coast airport.
LAX-MNL is a huge market. In the 12 months to April 2026, booking data shows that 379,000 round-trip passengers flew between the two airports. Nearly half of the market flew via a hub en route, with Philippine Airlines being the only nonstop operator — until Delta arrives next year. Unsurprisingly, LAX was the largest market between the US and the Philippines.
Simple Flying Quiz
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The Problem Is Not Traffic…
Like most markets that revolve around diaspora, the yields between LAX and MNL are not particularly high due to lower premium traffic. The sheer length of this route, at 6,348 nautical miles (11,757 km) each way, and a maximum block time of 14 hours and 40 minutes, will also depress yields. When all airlines, cabins, and passengers are included, the average base fare between LAX and MNL (excluding taxes, a fuel surcharge, and add-ons) was $520 each way.
Delta currently has three routes from LAX to Asia: HKG, 
Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), and 
Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND). While far from being like-for-like comparisons, they all have significantly more premium traffic than MNL, which means much higher fares. The length of MNL flights will also mean much higher operating expenses, at least compared to some of the other routes.
When the entire market is included, the lowest average fare from LAX to HKG, HND, and PVG was to HND, at $976 one-way. When MNL’s considerably longer distance is factored in, MNL’s average fare per nautical mile is 41% lower than HND’s. Will Delta be able to attain a price premium for its better product compared to Philippine Airlines, particularly given Delta’s much lower frequency?
