Delta Air Lines will extend its schedule to three key European destinations, with the airline planning to operate non-stop flights to Catania, Rome, and Porto through to January. These include flights between New York and Catania, New York and Porto, and Minneapolis and Rome.

For the Atlanta-based carrier, its decision to extend these shows that the demand for such routes is strong, especially with the decision to extend services beyond the Northern Hemisphere summer season. Both Catania and an additional link to Rome were launched just last year, while its new route to Porto is set to take off from May this year.

Delta Solidifies A Year-Round Route To Catania

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Delta’s decision to operate a non-stop service to Catania / Fontanarossa Airport (CTA) in Sicily is undoubtedly to cater to the large Italian diaspora that resides in the United States, and especially in New York. The non-stop flight is the only service from New York JFK Airport (JFK) to Catania, while Air Canada also operates non-stop seasonal services from Montréal–Trudeau International Airport(YUL). United Airlines also maintains a seasonal flight from Newark to Palermo, on the other side of the island.

Started in 2025, Delta’s seasonal service to Catania is operated daily with the Boeing 767-300ER. Data from Cirium, an online aviation analytics company, now identifies that the SkyTeam carrier plans to extend its operations until January, a clear sign of success on the route.

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As confirmed by LaSicilia, Delta has confirmed that the airline will now serve the city pair year-round. This shows the overwhelming success of the airline’s first season on the route, which recommences this April. The trans-Atlantic service takes around nine hours, and ten minutes gate to gate, and the airplane has all four cabin classes: Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort, and Delta Main.

Flying Direct Between Minneapolis And Rome

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On the heels of New York to Catania moving to year-round, Delta is also planning on extending its seasonal service from Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) and Rome Fiumicino Airport (FCO). The link, which recommenced in 2025, after a nearly nine-year absence (last flown in 2016), has recently been flown by the Airbus A330-900.

Delta will adjust the schedule between these two cities to continue through until January, however, shifting to a thrice-weekly service onboard the Airbus A330-200 for travel through until the middle of Winter. It remains unclear at this time if the airline plans to extend the service further into 2027.

This link from the upper Midwest will complement Delta’s existing network of services to the Italian capital, with the airline already serving FCO from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), and New York (JFK) year-round. Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) is poised to commence its own seasonal service with DL from May 6.

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More Flights Between New York And Porto This Winter

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Last but not least, Delta plans to operate more services from New York to the second-largest city in Portugal. The flights, which are set to begin on May 21, mark the only non-stop service from New York JFK and complement the existing seasonal service by United from Newark. TAP Air Portugal also offers non-stop services from Porto to both Newark and Boston.

Delta plans to operate the Porto link through until the end of January at this stage, with a thrice-weekly service operating through the winter onboard the Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. Delta, United, and TAP Air Portugal remain the only carriers operating non-stop services from Porto to the USA, while Air Canada and Air Transat also offer seasonal services from Canada.

These moves identify that Delta clearly is celebrating the success of these once seasonal routes. The demand and forward bookings that the airline is evidently experiencing suggest that interest is high, justifying the airline’s decision to extend these schedules.