Delta Routes Disappearing After 2025 (And The Best Alternatives For Travelers)

Good news for travelers from the northeast planning a European getaway. In the last few weeks, Delta announced that it will be launching seven new routes to Europe in the summer of 2026, including flights from New York (JFK) to Porto, Sardinia, and Malta, a tiny Mediterranean island with pebble beaches and perfect weather. While a summer of dream travel is on the horizon for many Delta flyers (all will be operated by Boeing 767 variants and feature the full Delta One travel experience), a few cities from Delta's vast European route network will be cut. Americans are still flocking to Southern Europe, though demand from Europe to the U.S. is shrinking compared to last year.

Starting on January 5, 2026, Delta will end its year-round service between JFK and Brussels (BRU), after flying the route for over 34 years. However, Delta loyalists will still be able to fly nonstop to Brussels from Atlanta after March 8. This route cut follows Delta's decision to trim seasonal flights between JFK and Geneva (GVE) in October 2025, just two years after resuming them. Cutting both routes may come as a surprise, as Brussels is the site of the European Commission and is the "unofficial capital of the EU," while New York and Geneva are the World Headquarters and European Headquarters of the UN and many international NGOs. However, Delta had very limited connectivity out of both airports, which are major hubs for Brussels Airlines and Swiss, two carriers in the Lufthansa Group.

While Delta cut its routes to Brussels and Geneva, travelers can still fly nonstop to New York from those cities, though not on Skyteam-affiliated airlines. Brussels Airlines operates a daily flight between JFK and Brussels on an A330 aircraft, and United flies to Brussels daily on a Boeing 787 from nearby Newark Airport. Travelers booking future travel from New York to Brussels on Delta will have to connect in Atlanta or in Europe. Over the last year, Switzerland has seen a huge influx of travelers from the Americas, and in particular, the U.S. In 2024, travelers from the United States spent over 4.6 million nights in Switzerland, many of them visiting the area around Lake Geneva. For travelers who are still longing to soak up the charming streets and beautiful lakeside views around Geneva, Swiss still has direct flights between New York and Geneva on an A330 aircraft. Alternatively, United serves Geneva as well with a daily nonstop flight, though from Newark on a smaller Boeing 767.

If you're a Delta loyalist planning a trip to see some of Switzerland's prettiest destinations and don't want to change planes in Europe, Delta still flies to Zurich from New York and Atlanta on its 767-300 aircraft. Once you arrive at Zurich Airport, hop directly on a train to Geneva and you'll have a beautiful three-plus hour trip in store. You can purchase these train tickets on the Swiss SBB rail site. For travelers bound for Brussels, book a combined Air + Rail ticket, fly Delta or Air France-KLM to Paris or Amsterdam, then seamlessly transfer at Amsterdam Schiphol or Paris Charles DeGaulle International Airport to a comfy train as part of your itinerary. This way you can save yourself the cost of the journey into the city from the airport.

In 2025, Delta also made changes to other parts of the flight schedule due to changes in passenger demand to iconic vacation destinations in the U.S. This year, Delta has taken notice that Las Vegas has experienced a reduction in visitors across the board. Per 8 News Now, Las Vegas' CBS affiliate, travel to Sin City has dipped 4.4%. As a result, Delta is cutting flights to Las Vegas from San Jose and Sacramento in January of next year. Despite the cuts in Las Vegas, travelers going to Orlando this winter are in for a treat. If you're looking to spend the Holidays at Universal Orlando Resort, Delta added eight new seasonal nonstop flights from across the Midwest and South for travelers to shake off the winter blues.

Smaller cities have also been affected by Delta's cuts. Albuquerque, Great Falls, Buffalo, and Fairbanks are all losing their nonstop flights to Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. Sadly, for the folks in West Texas, Delta decided to end service to Midland International Air and Space Port from November 8. Earlier this year, Delta operated three nonstop flights to Midland from Austin. Rather than trimming back the number of flights between the cities, the airline decided to cut the city out of its route network, due to most of the flights being half-full. Passengers who are flying to Midland still have options — the airport is also served by American, United, and Southwest.