Delta’s New Flight Will Make History With a First-of-Its-Kind Route

If it feels like every airline is announcing major new routes for 2026, that’s because they are. Deltakicked things off with flights to Maltaand Sardinia , two Mediterranean hotspots experiencing a surge in U.S. traveler interest. United followed by revealing new service to Seoul , the trendsetting Asian capital where tourism is booming. And JetBlueis expanding deeper into the Caribbeanand South America—including five new routes to Puerto Rico , its fastest-growing market.

Now, U.S. travelers are getting yet another headline-making route—and this one is truly historic.

Delta Air Lines announced that, beginning October 2026, it will launch the first-ever nonstop flight on a U.S. carrier from the United Statesto Saudi Arabia, with service running three times a week between Atlanta (ATL)and Riyadh, the Saudi capital. No U.S. airline has ever flown this route before entirely nonstop, technically speaking. Pan-Amand TWAdid operate direct service to Riyadhthrough the early 1990s , though flights often involved at least one intermediate stop.

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The move comes as Saudi Arabia accelerates its efforts to welcome international visitors and transform Riyadh into a global tourism and business hub. For Americans interested in exploring the country’s emerging cultural and adventure destinations—from the UNESCO sites of Al-Ulato new luxury resorts along the Red Sea—this marks a milestone moment.

“We welcome Delta to Riyadh and look forward to the opportunities this service will create for travelers worldwide," said His Excellency Ahmed Al-Khateeb, Minister of Tourism for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. "Delta’s new nonstop flights between Atlanta and Riyadh mark a significant milestone in strengthening global connectivity between our nations and will open new doors for tourism and cultural exchange while driving business and innovation.”

And Delta’s expansion doesn’t stop there. The airline will also debut two new summer routes from New York– JFK :

• JFK to Valletta, Malta (3x weekly, starting June 7, 2026)

• JFK to Sardinia, Italy (4x weekly, starting May 20, 2026)

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United, meanwhile, is growing its Newarkhub with new service to Split, Croatia; Santiago de Compostela, Spain; and a daily nonstop to Seoul, South Korea, launching between April and September 2026.

Frontierhas announced 23 new routes launching in early 2026, including service from multiple U.S. airports to vacation-hotspot destinations such as Cancun. These new routes are positioned to give travelers on a tighter budget more destination options—with intro fares from just $39 one-way.

Across the industry, 2026 is shaping up to be one of the biggest years for long-haul expansion since before the pandemic. Airlines are betting that travelers want more point-to-point international options, fewer connections and easier access to destinations that once required complicated itineraries.

When Delta’s first U.S.–Saudi nonstop takes flight next year, it won’t just mark a new route—it will mark a new chapter for travelers headed there.

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Sources:

• Delta Newsroom

This story was originally published by Parade on Dec 10, 2025, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.