Delta to drop Geneva, Switzerland, as transatlantic travel shifts
Delta Air Lines will end service to Geneva as slowing transatlantic travel demand takes a toll.
The Atlanta-based SkyTeam Alliance carrier will operate its last flight from Geneva Airport (GVA) to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Oct. 20, ending three years of service.
A Delta spokesperson said the decision was to "better align with consumer demand."
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Delta's exit from Geneva, a diplomatic center of Europe and gateway to the Alps, comes as transatlantic travel patterns shift.
Glen Hauenstein, president of Delta, said earlier in September that the airline was "a bit disappointed in terms of the transatlantic results" particularly among economy-class fliers over the summer.
The number of Western Europeans arriving in the U.S. by air was down nearly 2% from May through August compared to 2024, the latest data from the U.S. International Trade Administration shows. The drop from Switzerland was far greater, down more than 9%.
While the number of Europeans vacationing in the U.S. may be down, Americans are making up for the slack on many transatlantic routes. Demand to southern European destinations is strong with airlines eagerly adding new flights.
American Airlines is boosting service to Athens, Greece, next summer, and Delta Air Lines will add Malta, Porto in Portugal, and Sardinia in Italy to its map. And United Airlines has added places ranging from Bilbao in Spain to Palermo in Italy over the past few summers.
European airlines like Spain's Iberia see robust travel numbers across the North Atlantic and are eagerly adding flights. Orlando International Airport (MCO) joins Iberia's map in October, and Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) next spring.
Transatlantic growth, however, is slowing from the heady days of revenge travel after the COVID-19 pandemic. Airline seats between the U.S. and Europe will increase just 2.6% this year after 5.5% growth in 2024 and a nearly 19% jump in 2023, schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows.
"Growth is normalizing," said Jens Fehlinger, the CEO of Swiss International Air Lines, on the transatlantic market in a recent interview.
Swiss added its first new U.S. destination — Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) — in more than a decade last year and is now focused on letting that addition mature and transitioning to its new long-haul fleet of Airbus A350s that begin arriving in October.
For Delta travelers who still need to get to GVA, the airline's partners, including Air France, KLM and SAS Scandinavian Airlines, offer connecting flights to the airport via their European hubs.
And from New York, Swiss offers a daily nonstop to GVA from JFK while United Airlines offers the same from Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), Cirium schedules show.
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