Delta Air Lines is adding a long-haul route that no US carrier has flown before, announcing nonstop service between Los Angeles and Manila that will make it the only American airline flying directly between the two cities.
Service begins March 28, 2027, with the first flight departing Los Angeles that day and the return leaving Manila on March 30. Delta will start with three flights a week before stepping up to daily service on June 7, 2027.
The route will be flown by Delta’s Airbus A350-900, a twin-engine widebody configured with four cabins: Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort and Delta Main. Delta One, the carrier’s flagship business-class product, offers flat-bed seating, sliding privacy doors and elevated dining. Passengers across every cabin get seatback entertainment, and SkyMiles members have access to free Wi-Fi.
The launch puts Delta head-to-head with Philippine Airlines, the country’s flag carrier, which until now has been the only airline offering a nonstop link between Los Angeles and Manila. United Airlines also serves the market, but only by connecting passengers through San Francisco rather than flying nonstop — leaving Delta as the sole US carrier offering a direct option.
Jeff Moomaw, Delta’s Vice President for Asia Pacific, said the new route gives the airline a chance to introduce more travelers in the Philippines to its premium service while extending its global network.
The addition builds on Delta’s long-standing position in Los Angeles, one of its key West Coast gateways, and deepens its trans-Pacific presence at a time when demand for travel between the United States and the Philippines has been climbing. The Philippines is home to one of the largest overseas communities of any Asian nation in the US, and nonstop capacity between the two markets has historically been tight.
The A350-900 is well suited to the mission. Its range and fuel efficiency make it Delta’s aircraft of choice for the longest trans-Pacific sectors, and its four-cabin layout lets the airline chase both premium demand and price-sensitive leisure travelers on the same flight.
With the March 2027 start still months away, Delta has time to build awareness of the route in both markets before ramping the service to a daily operation the following summer.
Sources: AeroTime, Simple Flying. Featured image: AI-generated by AviationShop. By Elena Vargas.
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