Delta eliminates routes to Germany and Colombia in its latest network update

Delta Air Lines is implementing notable changes to its flight routes.

The Atlanta-based airline announced plans this weekend to discontinue two significant international routes. It will cease operations from Atlanta to Stuttgart, Germany, and from New York to Bogota, Colombia, as first reported in Cirium schedules and confirmed by a company spokesperson.

Both route cancellations will take effect on October 26, aligning with the airline's official winter season kickoff.

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The key issue here is the reduction in Stuttgart, as the departure of Delta will leave the German city without any direct flights to the U.S.

Delta has been operating flights to Stuttgart for over twenty years. This route, which primarily served business travelers, linked the U.S. headquarters of Mercedes Benz and Porsche in Atlanta with their main offices in Germany. After suspending the route from March 2020 to March 2023 due to the pandemic, it will now be permanently discontinued.

In their announcement, the airline stated: "Delta will cease service to and from Stuttgart on October 26, 2024, as we adjust our schedule to meet consumer demand. Passengers can still travel to Stuttgart via Delta's partners, Air France and KLM. Our flights to Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin will remain operational."

This is the second significant reduction by Delta in Germany in a short time. Last year, the airline also cut back on flights to Dusseldorf, which further disconnects another German city from nonstop service to the U.S. (According to Cirium schedules, German carrier Condor is planning only four sporadic flights from New York to Dusseldorf this September and October.)

In addition to modifications in long-haul services, Delta will discontinue flights between New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and El Dorado International Airport (BOG) in Bogota, Colombia, later this year. The airline indicated that this change is made "as we adjust our schedule to align with consumer demand."

While Delta will no longer operate flights to Bogota from New York, it will continue to provide twice-daily services from its Atlanta hub.

Passengers can also travel to Bogota through Delta's partner LATAM, which runs twice-daily flights from Miami and daily services from Orlando to the Colombian capital.

According to Cirium schedules, Delta began operating this route in December 2008. The airline has maintained consistent service since then, except for two short suspensions—one from 2016 to 2019 and another during the pandemic from March 2020 to December 2020.