Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is projected to handle over 110 million passengers this year, with the majority of traffic coming from Delta Air Lines’ dense domestic network. However, the airport is also experiencing significant growth in international travel this winter. According to data from Cirium for the week of December 14-20, there will be a 12% increase in weekly transatlantic flights compared to the same period last year.
Delta’s two new routes to Morocco and Ghana are major contributors to this growth, as part of the airline’s strategic plan to become the largest US carrier to Africa. But other factors, such as a new route from a Middle Eastern airline and frequency increases on existing routes, are also driving the expansion. This trend is expected to continue, with more exciting new routes planned for 2026. As a result, the busiest airport in the world is also becoming a significant transatlantic gateway for the US.
New Transatlantic Routes from Atlanta this Winter
Delta started its winter transatlantic expansion in October with its new route to Marrakech, the top tourist destination in Morocco. The route is operated three times a week using Delta’s Boeing 767-400ER fleet and is currently scheduled to end in May. However, this may change depending on the load factors the carrier experiences in the coming months.
In addition, Delta re-launched nonstop service from Atlanta to Accra on Monday, a route that it last operated in 2012. The new route is served by an Airbus A330-900 and complements the airline’s existing year-round service to Accra from New York’s JFK Airport. Although currently scheduled as seasonal through January, Delta may make it a permanent route due to the city’s historically strong performance.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian emphasized the airline’s goal to be the dominant carrier between the US and Africa for both business and leisure travel:
“Today, Delta is the largest carrier to Africa from the US. While some of the other carriers have come and gone over the last number of years, we haven’t, we’ve stayed strong in Africa.
But Delta is not the only airline contributing to Atlanta’s transatlantic growth. In July, Etihad Airways became the second Middle Eastern giant to fly to Atlanta (after Qatar Airways), connecting the city to its home base at Abu Dhabi International Airport. The route initially operated four times a week but has since increased to a daily nonstop service using the airline’s long-range Airbus A350-1000.
Frequency Increases At Atlanta
Along with new routes, there have also been frequency increases on existing routes. Delta has added ten additional weekly flights to five routes, with the exception of Cape Town International Airport, where there is a corresponding decrease in Johannesburg Airport. This shift is due to the airline’s focus on the more popular leisure destination for the Southern Hemisphere summer season. Turkish Airlines has also increased its daily service from Atlanta to nine weekly flights from Europe’s busiest airport.