Summary
- Delta discontinues direct flights to Stuttgart, cut due to softening demand.
- Delta remains connected to Germany via Frankfurt, Munich, and Berlin.
- Stuttgart still accessible through robust European airline network post-Delta exit.
SkyTeam carrier
Delta Air Lines
is looking to lighten the load on its German operations. From October 27, the airline appears to discontinue its direct service between
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport
and Stuttgart. The airline flies the route year-round but has closed reservations since the start of the winter.
Earlier this year, Delta advised its intentions to move the
Stuttgart Airport
route to a seasonal service, reflecting a softening in demand. However, the airline has now decided to axe this service altogether.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
The news comes one year after Delta also cut its direct link to
Dusseldorf
from Atlanta. This route served three times weekly with the Boeing 767-300ER and provided American travelers with a direct link to the German city and surrounding areas of Cologne and Bonn. Delta travelers visiting Germany will have three options: Frankfurt and Munich (year-round) and seasonal summer flights to Berlin.
Delta has axed two German links within a year
With Delta axing its route to Stuttgart and its absence in Dusseldorf, it is quite a change in history for the airline. Delta has served Stuttgart for decades, and Dusseldorf has been served between 2006 and 2023 (minus the pandemic). Delta has been the only permanent carrier to serve these German airports with transatlantic connections, so the airline’s absence at these airports will leave them without any direct links to North America.
In the post-pandemic world, airlines are still recovering to pre-pandemic levels, and Stuttgart and Dusseldorf’s routes rely heavily on business travelers. Stuttgart is the home of Mercedez Benz and Porche, while Dusseldorf is an international financial center serving the neighboring cities of Bonn and Cologne. Fortunately, the European country has an extensive and efficient public transport system that connects most major cities to Frankfurt and Munich with high-speed trains.
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
Delta remains committed to Germany
Delta hasn’t given up on Germany and will still maintain a robust schedule for the country’s major cities. Frankfurt, the nation’s busiest airport, will retain three year-round services to the significant Delta hubs of Atlanta, Detroit, and
New York JFK Airport
. Munich retains a year-round connection to Atlanta, with seasonal services to Detroit and New York JFK. Fans of Berlin can connect to the city during the northern hemisphere summer travel season with direct services from New York JFK.
Photo: Markus Mainka/Shutterstock
Stuttgart will not be completely cut off, given it maintains a robust network of routes with other European airlines. The city serves the German state of Baden-Württemberg and is served by most major European airlines from their respective hubs. Those looking at creative ways to fly into the city from North America could, in the future, opt for indirect services with Air France, Austrian Airlines, British Airways,
KLM
, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Swiss or Turkish Airlines.