Despite declining yields and rates in 2023, the three air carriers increased cargo revenues last year by growing their worldwide networks. While traffic restrictions restricted Asian expansion to China, most growth occurred across the Atlantic.

Cirium data shows that in October 2024, these airlines will provide more than 13,000 flights and more than 14 billion available seat miles (ASMs) on their routes to Europe.

United Airlines: increased service on ‘traditional’ routes

5,141 flights and 1.2 million seats

The leader is United Airlines
, with a total of 5,141 flights and more than 1.2 million seats. The airline has been aggressive in increasing its European service, both by adding new routes and by increasing service on more ‘traditional’ routes.

United Airlines Lines US-Europe network (October 2024) – According to flightconnections.com

Flights

Seats

ASMs

Direct flights

Aircraft types

5,141

1,234,184

5,369,603,835

Portugal (Lisbon, Faro, Ponta Delgada), Spain (Tenerife, Malaga, Madrid, Barcelona, Palma de Mallorca), France (Nice, Paris), Switzerland (Geneva, Zurich), Croatia (Dubrovnik), Italy (Milan, Venice, Rome, Naples), Greece (Athens), Germany (Munich, Berlin, Frankfurt), Belgium (Brussels), Netherlands (Amsterdam), United Kingdom (London Heathrow, Edinburgh), Ireland (Dublin, Shannon), Sweden (Stockholm), Iceland (Reykjavík).

Boeing 757-200, 757-300, Boeing 767-300ER, 767-400ER, Boeing 777-200ER, 777-300ER, Boeing 787-8, 787-9, 787-10

Post-COVID-19, increased demand also led to new routes to relatively underserved locations such as Palma de Mallorca and Tenerife, Spain. However, United Airlines will end its Tenerife-New York flights in April 2025 due to low passenger numbers, particularly in summer. Later in the year, United intends to start the service again for the winter.

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Record Breaking: United Airlines Plans To Serve 32 European Airports Next Summer

The carrier has never previously served more than 29 European airports.

Moreover, United Airlines has increased seat availability by 12% by resuming direct flights using a Boeing 767-400 between Palma and New York during the summer, with three weekly flights.

United’s schedule for 2024 is expected to offer new routes from Europe and additional service frequencies, for instance bringing the Malaga to Newar route to daily.

The airline will also be served by a seasonal non-stop service, three times weekly, New York (Newark) to Palermo, Italy starting May 22, 2025. United is already planning for summer 2025 when it anticipates adding 11 routes with some of them being in Europe such as Bilbao, Spain, Madeira Island, and Faro, Portugal.

Delta Air Lines: bigger planes fewer European routes

4,846 flights and 1.2 million seats

Delta Air Lines
which is in the second place in terms of operation on the transatlantic market has continued to uphold the place with total of 4,846 flights and 1.2 million seats. It is worth noting that it offers more seats than United Airlines.

Delta Air Lines US-Europe network (October 2024) – According to flightconnections.com

Flights

Seats

ASMs

Direct flights

Aircraft types

4,846

1,246,932

5,196,899,654

Portugal (Lisbon), Spain (Madrid, Barcelona), France (Nice, Paris), Switzerland (Geneva, Zurich), Italy (Milan, Venice, Rome, Naples, Catania), Greece (Athens), Germany (Munich, Stuttgart, Berlin, Frankfurt, Stuttgart), Belgium (Brussels), Netherlands (Amsterdam), United Kingdom (London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Edinburgh), Ireland (Dublin, Shannon), Denmark (Copenhagen), Sweden (Stockholm), Czech Republic (Prague).

Airbus A330-300, Airbus A330-900, Airbus A350-900, Boeing 767-300ER, Boeing 767-400ER

That Delta’s transatlantic capacity is indeed growing is clear with more aircraft in Delta’s fleet flying key European lanes as the airline adds bigger planes including the A350.

Delta’s strategy during pandemic has been opposite where they have been trying to put more seats in their plane but catering to fewer routes.​

SkyTeam alliance has remained one of the biggest factors for Delta’s successes , much of its achievement has been attributed to the partnership that it has had with the alliance.

A skillful international strategic partnership with Air France KLM and Virgin Atlantic has allowed the airline to offer a diverse geography of the European route with acceptable and respectable yield levels. However,

in September, Delta Air Lines announced the cancellation
of its only daytime flight from New York JFK to Air France’s Paris CDG hub.

Delta also plans to begin four weekly flights between Atlanta and Zurich to Naples and will reintroduce service to Shannon.

Delta stands to receive six A350-900s and ordered 20 A350-1000s in January, but these are due to enter its fleet after 2026.

Related

Delta Air Lines Plans Largest-Ever Transatlantic Expansion With Several New European Routes

Delta Air Lines is focusing on Italy next summer and will make its Catania debut in May 2025. This will be the first ever US connection for the city.

American Airlines: optimized fleet for profitability

3,258 flights and 800,000 seats

Although American Airlines
(AA) has slightly fewer transatlantic flights on offer than United and Delta, it still occupies about 40% of the total market having 3,258 flights and more than 800,000 seats.

American Airlines US-Europe network (October 2024) – According to flightconnections.com

Flights

Seats

ASMs

Direct flights

Aircraft types

3,258

878,722

3,734,794,515

Portugal (Lisbon), Spain (Madrid, Barcelona), France (Nice, Paris), Switzerland (Zurich), Italy (Milan, Venice, Rome, Naples), Greece (Athens), Germany (Munich, Frankfurt), Netherlands (Amsterdam), United Kingdom (London Heathrow, Edinburgh), Ireland (Dublin), Denmark (Copenhagen).

Boeing 787-8, Boeing 777-200, Airbus A330-200

Another asset of AA is belonging to the oneworld alliance: joint business ventures with Business partners – BA and IB let AA maintain competitive rates on the important lanes such as New York- London and Dallas-Paris.

Related

Your Guide To American Airlines’ 51 European Routes In New Summer Schedule

Flights are from 10 US airports.

American has also optimized its fleet for profitability, focusing on fewer but more frequent routes between key US hubs and high-demand European cities. The airline has concentrated much of its capacity on high-yield transatlantic routes, betting heavily on business travel and premium services.​

The overall trend in the transatlantic market is clear: the number of flights might still have slightly skewed downward from what it was pre Covid-19. Yet, the overall capacity in the numbers offered by these larger carriers is helpful in meeting an expanding need.

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