Examined: Detroit’s International Airline Growth, Cuts & Changes

Icelandair recently confirmed that it will end flights to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport in early 2026. It cited unprofitable operations and increased competition as the main reasons for the withdrawal. This will make it the latest foreign carrier to step back from Detroit after only a few years of service.

Every year, the airport handles substantial domestic traffic and supports large operations from US carriers such as Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and Southwest Airlines. At the same time, over the years, it has attracted a mix of international airlines aiming to serve the region’s business and leisure markets. Some of these carriers have built a long-term presence, while others have exited after testing demand. Let’s take a look at how international airline operations at Detroit have shifted in recent years.

Which Foreign Airlines Currently Serve Detroit?

The airport, which was originally named Wayne County Airport, opened in September 1930. At the time, it covered just one square mile and primarily supported US airmail services. Today, it has grown into one of the largest and busiest hubs, connecting the US to several major international gateways. Notably, Pan Am was the first airline to introduce international flights from Detroit in 1956. Within the next few years, British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) launched service, and became the first foreign airline at the airport.

Over time, several carriers, including Lufthansa, Air France, Royal Jordanian, and Air Canada, established themselves in Detroit and currently remain among its most consistent international operators. Today, Canadian regional airline Jazz, which operates flights on behalf of Air Canada to Toronto, is the largest international carrier at the airport. According to scheduled data from Cirium, it has planned more than 700 flights from Detroit this year and is offering up to three daily departures this month alone.

Turkish Airlines also maintains a notable presence, and has expanded quickly since it launched service from Istanbul in 2023. The carrier began with three weekly flights, later increased to four, and now runs a daily year-round schedule. Lufthansa, Air France, and Royal Jordanian, three of the oldest foreign airlines still serving Detroit, continue to connect the city with their hubs in Frankfurt, Paris, and Amman.

The Carriers That Tried Detroit, And Left

In addition, Icelandair also offers seasonal flights to Detroit. This year it has scheduled about 168 flights and 27,114 seats. It only launched the service in 2023, but has since struggled to achieve profitability; it will operate the last service on January 3, 2026. This will end Detroit’s only direct link to Iceland. Notably, WOW Air (now rebranded as PLAY) was the first carrier to connect Detroit with Reykjavik back in 2018, though its service lasted only until 2019.

Furthermore, several other international routes have also been cut in recent years. Until this month, Jazz maintained a link to Montreal, though Air Canada has dropped the route for the winter season. Additionally, Aeromexico also pulled back after experimenting with several routes. The carrier connected Detroit to Mexico City between 2017 and 2019, but that link was discontinued during the pandemic and has not returned. Similarly, it launched Leon flights in 2018, but those never returned after the pandemic.

In 2024, Aeromexico briefly operated a Guadalajara service as well, though it ended just weeks after launch when the US Department of Transportation declined to renew the Delta–Aeromexico joint venture. Besides, the airport has hosted British Airways and Virgin Atlantic in the past. The former ended its London service in 2008, citing poor profitability tied to the struggles of the US’ auto industry at the time. The latter, meanwhile, operated between London and Detroit from 2015 to 2017.

Delta Keeps Detroit Connected Globally

Indeed, while some foreign airlines have scaled back or exited Detroit in recent years, the airport still offers several international connections through Delta Air Lines. It was once the primary hub of Northwest Airlines, which built an extensive transpacific network from Detroit. Following the merger in 2008, Delta inherited that network and has since made the airport its second-busiest hub.

Today, the SkyTeam Alliance offers flights to several transatlantic, transcontinental, and Latin American winter sun destinations. This year alone, the airline has scheduled over 8,000 flights to international destinations. This includes services to Paris, Amsterdam, London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Dublin, Munich, Rome, Seoul, Tokyo Haneda, Mexico City, Putna Cana, and Cancun, among others.

In addition, the airline continues to expand its international network. Just this May, it launched seasonal flights to Dublin and Munich. Later this year, it will expand further with a Saturday-only service to Grand Cayman from December to April next year, and weekly flights to Guanacaste, Costa Rica, beginning in December.