Historically, Delta Air Lines has shied away from ultra long haul flights, with a limited number of exceptions. However, that’s slowly starting to change, as Delta plans to launch flights to Hong Kong (HKG) and Riyadh (RUH). That’s only the beginning of the growth, though, and there’s an interesting update regarding a new destination the airline plans to add.
Delta confirms 2027 launch for flights to Manila, Philippines
In late October 2025, a Delta executive revealed to employees internally that the airline plans to add flights to Singapore (SIN) and Manila (MNL), though stopped short of providing a timeline for the launch, or sharing out of which airport the airline will add this service.
Well, there’s an update on that front. Delta just submitted a filing to the Department of Transportation (DOT), in reference to Philippine Airlines’ request to fly to Chicago (ORD). In this filing, the airline reveals that starting in the summer of 2027, it plans to launch daily Manila flights out of Los Angeles (LAX), using an A350:
Delta respectfully urges the Department to defer action on PAL’s application until Delta’s entry is assured by the Philippine Government.
Delta does not oppose PAL’s requested authority in principle. Delta recognizes that expanded service between the United States and the Philippines can provide public benefits, including enhanced consumer choice and increased trade and tourism between the two countries.
Delta is likewise committed to advancing these same public interest objectives. In furtherance of that goal, Delta is pursuing plans to launch its own Manila service next summer (2027) with daily Airbus A350-900 service from Los Angeles. Delta’s service would provide additional competition, new routing options, and expanded connectivity for US and Philippine consumers alike.
Now, we’ll see if this actually comes to fruition with the timeline being promised, but that’s at least what’s being claimed.
I can’t really make sense of Delta’s Manila strategy
There are two things I find interesting about this announcement. First of all, I don’t really understand Delta’s West Coast strategy. Among the “big three” US carriers, United is the only one that has a mega long haul hub, in the form of San Francisco (SFO).
It’s hard to make sense of Delta’s strategy when it comes to Los Angeles (LAX) vs. Seattle (SEA). Los Angeles has historically been Delta’s bigger West Coast hub, but it’s also a market that seemingly no airline can actually “win,” as all of the “big three” US carriers have a sizable presence there.
So for close to a decade now, Delta has put effort into growing in Seattle, especially across the Pacific, but that’s no longer the case. Now we’re seeing the airline expand in Los Angeles, with flights to both Hong Kong and Manila.
Next, for an airline that’s just now getting around to expanding across the Pacific, I’m a bit surprised Manila ranks so high on the priority list. We’re talking about a 7,000+ mile flight here, in a high demand but fairly low yield market.
I guess Delta views itself as the “premium” option compared to Philippine Airlines, but still, this just doesn’t strike me as a great route for Delta, given its high operating costs. In fairness, United added San Francisco to Manila flights in late 2023, though United is also a lot further along when it comes to the size of its Asia route network, and San Francisco is also a much bigger hub for the airline.
So we’ll see how this plays out. Admittedly airline economics have changed over the years, and routes no longer need to be wildly profitable directly, but instead, loyalty programs are also a big consideration. But still, I’m not sold on this…
Bottom line
Delta has confirmed that in the summer of 2027, it plans to launch daily nonstop flights between Los Angeles and Manila. We knew that the airline was eyeing Manila (and Singapore) flights, though it’s interesting to see the new route be out of Los Angeles. Admittedly that’s the bigger market for the Philippines, but it’s a long journey, and it’s not exactly high yielding.
What do you make of Delta’s Manila plans?