Delta Air Lines to launch first direct Malta-New York flights in summer 2026
Delta Air Lines will operate three weekly flights between Malta and New York from June to October, marking the first direct US carrier service to the island.
Malta International Airport has published its summer 2026 flight schedule, and the headline is a first for the island's connectivity. Delta Air Lines will become the first American carrier to operate direct flights to Malta, connecting the island with New York City three times per week from June through October.
The move opens a direct link to the largest US market and signals a strategic push to attract North American leisure and business travellers. Until now, passengers from the US had to connect through European hubs.
Beyond the transatlantic milestone, the summer schedule brings notable expansion in Northern Europe. Norwegian will launch a new route to Billund in Denmark and increase frequencies on its existing services to Oslo and Helsinki.
Ryanair will extend its direct flights to Gothenburg, Sweden into the summer season. Air Baltic will double its Malta-Tallinn frequency from once to twice weekly.
Closer to home, Ryanair and WizzAir will operate direct flights to Tirana, Albania, broadening the Mediterranean offering. In the UK, easyJet is adding connections to Glasgow and Newcastle, while Jet2 will operate a new route to London Gatwick.
The UK remains a critical market for the airport. In February, it ranked as the second largest with an 18.1% market share, just behind Italy at 18.2%.
February traffic figures underscore the momentum. A total of 658,328 passengers passed through the airport, with daily traffic peaking at 30,875 on 15 February as Carnival and Valentine's Day festivities drew to a close.
Seat capacity reached 806,540 seats, a year-on-year increase of 15.8%. Seat load factor climbed to 81.6%, a 1.1% improvement over 2025.
The airport's Traffic Development team is maintaining close communication with airlines, particularly those with scheduled flights to countries affected by ongoing geopolitical conflict. The airport said it continues to monitor developments.
For Malta's tourism and hospitality sectors, the Delta connection could be a game-changer in terms of source market diversification. Direct access from New York opens the door to higher-spending US travellers and positions Malta more competitively against other Mediterranean destinations that already have US links.