Delta Air Lines is quietly getting ready to take on United Airlines and Cathay Pacific in the Los Angeles–Hong Kong market.

Delta Air Lines Plans Los Angeles – Hong Kong Route

Delta Air Lines will resume service to Hong Kong (HKG) with a nonstop flight from Los Angeles (LAX), according to JonNYC:

While the official schedule is not yet published, the flight is expected to begin this winter.

Competitive Landscape: United and Cathay Pacific

• United Airlines already operates two daily LAX–HKG flights and has some Star Alliance connectivity, but no major connecting partner
• Cathay Pacific runs three daily services on A350 and 777 jets, with extensive reach across China and Southeast Asia
• Delta currently lacks any major partner in Hong Kong

Why LAX Instead Of Seattle?

Hong Kong business travel is still recovering from the pandemic, and Cathay Pacific and United are already filling seats. It’s not surprising that Delta wants to return to Hong Kong.

But I am scratching my head as to why Delta chose Los Angeles, when there are already five nonstops per day, rather than its Seattle hub, which currently offers no nonstop service. Is there enough demand from Seattle, a route that would serve the dual purpose of allowing Delta to charge a nonstop revenue premium and also edge out Alaska Airlines?

Obviously, route planners churned numbers and saw that local and US connecting traffic from Los Angeles represented the greater opportunity. Will Delta be able to fill up planes (especially in the Delta One premium cabin) or will this route struggle like its Los Angeles – London route did? (Delta eventually ceded that route to its joint venture partner, Virgin Atlantic) Could Delta be looking at further transpacific expansion from Los Angeles from its beautiful new terminals?

This is not a new route for Delta. Delta last flew LAX-HKG eight years ago and flew it for many years, once via Anchorage (ATL) using a Lockheed L1011 aircraft.

I don’t foreclose the possibility that the LAX-HKG pie is big for Delta too, but LAX is a notoriously difficult market and I’m still surprised Delta chose LAX over SEA.

CONCLUSION

Delta’s move is bold and signals a serious intent to re-engage with the Asia market and challenge United and Cathay Pacific. We’ll wait for the schedule (might Delta launch a Fifth Freedom route from Hong Kong to maximize transpacific flight timing?) and see if this move is the first of more transpacific additions from LAX.

Do you expect Delta’s LAX-HKG flight will succeed?