Delta Air Lines has confirmed that it will fly from 
New York JFK to Malta and Olbia (Sardinia, Italy). Big incentives and other risk-sharing mechanisms will underpin them, and they follow the trend for Southern European travel. This announcement came after the carrier’s disclosure earlier this year that its employees and SkyMiles members would help choose the next destination. Of course, it is unknown what weight was given to their part of the decision.
Both routes will use the Boeing 767-300ER, which has been freed up by the airline’s decision to end London Gatwick flights and cease JFK-Brussels service. It had flown the route to the Belgian capital since 1991. It’ll consolidate on JFK-Heathrow and Atlanta-Brussels.
Delta From JFK To Malta
At 3,996 nautical miles (7,401 km) each way, the 
SkyTeam member will begin this route on June 7, 2026. It’ll be the first time that any US carrier has ever served Malta. However, it’ll be the third time the Mediterranean island has had US passenger flights.
According to the US Department of Transportation, whose information goes back to 1990, Air Malta (as it was then called) flew Malta-Shannon-JFK with a leased 757 during 2000. Balkan Bulgarian (as it was then called) flew Sofia-Malta-JFK between 1995 and 1997 on the 767-200ER.
In the 12 months to July 2025, booking data via OAG shows that Malta had 90,000+ passengers who traveled to/from the US and Canada. NYC was, of course, the largest market. Operating three times weekly, Delta will deploy the 216-seat 767-300ER. This config has 26 seats in Delta One (1-2-1), 18 in Premium Select (2-2-2; 38″ pitch), 21 in Comfort+ (2-3-2; 34″), and 151 in main cabin (2-3-2; 32″).
| Days | JFK To Malta (Local Times) | Days | Malta To JFK (Local Times) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays | DL148: 17:00-08:20+1 | Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays | DL149: 10:20-14:50 |
Delta From JFK To Olbia
Unlike Malta, which has had US flights before, Olbia—and Sardinia generally—hasn’t. When all Sardinian airports are combined, booking data shows they had 65,000 passengers to/from the US and Canada. NYC accounted for over a quarter of the traffic.
Starting on May 20, 2026, Delta will operate four times weekly on the 216-seat 767-300ER. Sardinia is, generally speaking, a very high-yielding place for US travelers. According to booking data, the average fare—across all passengers in all cabins—for JFK-Olbia was $1,720 each way (including a fuel surcharge). This reflected strong premium traffic. The downside is that it is a small existing market, but Delta will find it easy to stimulate traffic from nonstop flights and strong promotions.
| Days | JFK To Olbia (Local Times) | Days | Olbia To JFK (Local Times) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Sundays | DL216: 18:25-09:00+1 | Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays | DL217: 11:00-14:35 |
JFK-Olbia has an average fare per nautical mile of $0.47. In contrast, it is just $0.20 for JFK-Naples. While Olbia’s result was 135% higher, it also covers 5% less distance, meaning lower operating costs. But still, it’s a significantly smaller market.
Much More Network Creativity Since The Pandemic
Since COVID-19, airlines have been more creative in their route decision-making, including to Europe. United Airlines is the epitome of this. In the past few years, and among other places, it has started flying to Bilbao (2025), Dubrovnik (2021), Faro (2025), Funchal (2025), Malaga (2023), Palermo (2025), Palma de Mallorca (2022), Ponta Delgada (2022), and Tenerife South (2022, but since cut).
Delta’s latest additions of Malta and Olbia are in this vein. However, it has, generally speaking, been more cautious and traditional in its expansion, partly because—unlike United—it barely uses single-aisle aircraft to Europe. Of leisure-driven markets, Delta briefly flew to Dubrovnik in 2021 (replaced by United), while Naples joined its map in 2024, followed by Catania in 2025.
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