It’s normal to see airlines add all kinds of summer seasonal routes to Europe. Often we see airlines make one big announcement, though in the case of Delta Air Lines, the Atlanta-based carrier seems to be taking more of a “drip” approach to revealing new service.
For the summer of 2026, Delta has already announced plans to launch flights from Boston (BOS) to Madrid (MAD) and Nice (NCE), flights from New York (JFK) to Malta (MLA) and Sardinia (OLB), and flights from Seattle (SEA) to Barcelona (BCN) and Rome (FCO). We can now add a seventh route to the mix.
Delta will add first-ever flight to Porto, Portugal
As of May 21, 2026, Delta will launch a daily seasonal flight between New York and Porto (OPO). The schedule for the 3,322-mile flight hasn’t yet been revealed, but I suspect the flight will be loaded into the schedule over the weekend. Porto is of course set along the banks of the Douro Valley, and is known for its colorful waterfront and old-world charm.
This will be Delta’s first route to Porto, and second destination in Portugal, after Lisbon (LIS). Delta flies to Lisbon year-round out of New York, and seasonally out of Boston.
Delta will use its workhorse Boeing 767-300ERs for this route, featuring 216 seats, including 26 business class seats, 18 premium economy seats, and 172 economy class seats. Here’s how Paul Baldoni, Delta’s SVP of Network Planning, describes this:
“Delta’s new nonstop service from JFK to Porto is part of seven new European routes launching next summer, giving customers even more opportunities to experience Europe and enjoy our award-winning service and premium onboard experience. Whether discovering Portugal or traveling to our other new destinations such as Sardinia and Malta, these additions expand choice for our customers and reinforce JFK’s role as a leading global gateway.”
My take on Delta adding seasonal Porto flights
A summer seasonal flight to Portugal out of New York on a fairly low capacity plane seems like a safe enough route addition, and I’m sure it’ll do fine.
In terms of the competitive landscape, United currently flies seasonally to Porto out of Newark (EWR), using the Boeing 757. TAP Air Portugal flies year-round between Porto and Newark, and seasonally between Porto and Boston, using the Airbus A321neo. And American flies to El Paso (ELP)… does that count?
So yeah, Delta is following United’s lead here, and Star Alliance definitely has the advantage in terms of the quantity of service. However, it’s not like TAP Air Portugal and United have a terribly close partnership (TAP isn’t in the Star Alliance transatlantic joint venture), and it’s not like this is a business heavy route, or anything.
Of note is that this is a transatlantic market where Delta has a better hard product than United across cabins (which isn’t terribly common).
As we see Delta add all of these new seasonal routes of New York, keep in mind that some markets are being cut to make this possible. Out of New York, Delta has canceled some routes in business markets, including to Brussels (BRU), Geneva (GVA), etc.
Bottom line
In May 2026, Delta will launch daily, seasonal flights between New York and Porto using Boeing 767s. Currently, United is the only US airline to fly to Porto, and then you also have TAP Air Portugal flying between the United States and Porto.
Delta is adding some cool new European destinations next year, though it’s coming at the expense of service to airports like Brussels, Geneva, etc.
What do you make of Delta adding Porto flights?
