Delta Air Lines returns to Gatwick

It’s been 15 years since Delta Air Lines upped sticks and moved to Heathrow. But after a break, the airline has returned to its original London gateway – Gatwick Airport. 

Returning to Gatwick – Image, Delta Air Lines.

The return to Gatwick coincides with its 45th anniversary of serving the UK-US market, with the airline flying daily nonstop flights to New York-JFK.

The Delta operation at Gatwick is:

DL199 DEPART LGW 14:10 ARRIVE JFK 17:00
DL198 DEPART JFK 23:35 ARRIVE LGW 12:00+1

Booked Equipment: Boeing 767-300ER

Delta operates a three-class Boeing 767-300ER on this route, with a fully flat-bed seat in Delta One, a premium economy recliner in Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin seating.

With passengers being able to connect at New York in the USA, it provides a valuable connection across the Atlantic, especially for those whose final destination is the in South of England, with easy connectivity to London and beyond straight from Gatwick Airport train station.

In Quotes

Delta Colleagues Celebrating the first flight’s arrival – Image Delta. 

Nicolas Ferri, Delta’s vice president of Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India, said:

“Delta started flying to the UK 45 years ago this month at Gatwick and so it is fitting that we are restarting our operations from Gatwick to the United States,” 

“On board, customers will discover an elevated service and special touches to make their journey memorable.”

Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport, added:

“We are thrilled to welcome Delta Air Lines back to Gatwick. It means that we will expand furthermore our connectivity to the US. This trust from such a network carrier as Delta underlines the competitiveness and the operational capabilities of Gatwick.

“Delta is a huge name in the transatlantic market and being able to offer passengers across London and the South East the opportunity to travel with them between Gatwick and New York City is fantastic, providing not only wider choice, but further competition. It also demonstrates the strong pull of Gatwick as an airport for big name, long-haul airlines.”

A boost to Gatwick, as well as bypassing slot constraints.

For Gatwick Airport, regaining a big visible brand name is priceless, as it continues to offer itself as an option for airlines to serve as a gateway to London and the South East of England.

Meanwhile, for Delta, it allows them to bypass the slot constraints of other airports, and allow them to launch services as needed to support customer demand.

With airlines expecting a busy summer of 2023, slots everywhere will be at a premium.

It’ll be interesting to see if the Gatwick route can be sustained by Delta. It will be quite impressive if the airline launches more routes from its hub to the airport too.

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