Delta Air Lines will end its nonstop service between New York (JFK) and Geneva (GVA) at the end of the IATA summer season in late October 2025. This follows the recent news that the New York–Brussels (BRU) route will end in January 2026 after 34 years and follows the elimination of New York–Munich (MUC) in 2024, marking the third transatlantic destination Delta has pulled from JFK in just over a year.

Delta Cuts New York To Geneva Flights

Delta re-launched its Geneva route in 2023 with a Boeing 767-400, highlighting the link as important for both corporate and leisure demand. But the service never gained traction, and Delta has now filed notice it will discontinue the route. Geneva is a competitive market anchored by Swiss International Air Lines and its Lufthansa Group partners, leaving Delta with limited beyond-connectivity options. Although a popular diplomatic route, Delta could not command a premium for the route that justified its continued operation.

Is Delta Struggling In New York?

Delta has long invested heavily in New York JFK, marketing itself as the city’s global carrier and building out facilities at Terminal 4. Yet compared to United at Newark, Delta has had a harder time sustaining a broad longhaul portfolio. In recent years it has steadily pared back both Europe and Asia flying from JFK.

One factor is alliance strength. United leverages deep Star Alliance connections through its European partners in BRU, GVA, and MUC. Delta, by contrast, has fewer joint venture partners with strong onward feed in these markets, limiting its appeal. The sheer competitiveness of JFK also plays a role: with multiple carriers on most major routes, Delta often cannot command the pricing power it enjoys in fortress hubs like Atlanta (ATL) or Salt Lake City (SLC).

This trend is also visible in Asia. Delta was unable to make Mumbai (BOM) service work and did not even bother to propose a JFK to Tokyo (HND) flight when a slot was available (American Airlines was awarded the route).  Despite a deep relationship with Korean Air and onward connectivity from Seoul (ICN), it has not launched its own flight from JFK to ICN. The pattern suggests that New York has proven far tougher to dominate than Delta’s other hubs, which should not be controversial considering the competition there versus at fortress hubs like Atlanta.

Disciplined Network Planning

To Delta’s credit, it has always been disciplined with its network planning. The carrier is quick to cut underperforming routes rather than allow them to bleed. Geneva may have looked promising two years ago, but clearly the numbers did not add up. Aircraft and crews can be redeployed to higher-yield markets where Delta can better leverage its strengths (though I question whether Sardina and Malta will do any better).

Still, it is telling that New York remains such a difficult market for Delta. The airline thrives in Atlanta, Boston (BOS), Detroit (DTW), Minneapolis (MSP), and elsewhere, but at JFK it continues to retreat, at least in terms of longhaul routes. Even for one of the most disciplined carriers in the world, New York is proving to be an unforgiving battleground. Faced with competition on these routes, people were not choosing Delta.

Delta recently said its Los Angeles (LAX) – New York route is its most profitable. Maybe it makes sense simply to do more transcontinental flying?

CONCLUSION

Delta’s decision to pull the plug on New York–Geneva highlights both its disciplined approach to capacity and the challenges it faces in New York. Despite large investments and bold marketing, Delta has struggled to make JFK work for longhaul expansion. With United entrenched at Newark and American benefiting from oneworld strength at JFK, Delta’s position in New York is evolving, even as it has pursued a smart focus on both LaGuardia (LGA) and Kennedy airports. Geneva is just the latest reminder that even for Delta, New York is a tough market.

image: Delta