Delta unveils its record-breaking 2024: after Naples, a direct flight to Sicily could arrive

Up to 94 weekly flights and one million passengers carried between Italy and the United States. At a press conference held in Milan in the evocative setting of the Starbucks Roastery in Piazza Curdusio, Delta Airlines presented its goals for 2024, following what Matteo Curcio, the U.S. airline's senior vice president for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India, called "a record-breaking summer 2023 and a year in which we expect to carry, over the twelve months, more than 850 thousand passengers."

What primarily moves such a large amount of traffic between the two sides of the Atlantic?

"Especially American tourists. They are the ones who during the course of this year, after two years of Covid restrictions, have rediscovered the desire to travel even to distant destinations in a big way, thanks to the strong dollar over the euro. Of course, the prevalence of Americans varies from country to country. In Italy there has been on Rome and Venice for sure, while Milan is the first city in Italy in terms of demand for Italian travelers."

After a record summer like the one about to end and a year that brought you back to pre-Covid levels, what are the plans for 2024?

"Confirming, and strengthening, our presence in the 'historic' markets of Rome, Milan and Venice. With the addition of the novelty Naples, which boasts at a short distance such must-see destinations for Americans as Pompeii and the Amalfi Coast."

From where and with how many frequencies will you fly to these four cities?

"Rome, at the peak of the summer season will be connected three times a day with our New York JFK hub, twice a day with our main hub in Atlanta and once a day with both Boston and Detroit. From Milan, the operation will see two daily flights between Malpensa and JFK, plus a daily connection to Atlanta. From Venice we will fly to New York up to 10 times a week and to Atlanta twice a day. While from Naples the flight to JFK will leave on May 25 and will be daily."

Will your classes of service be present on all flights?

"Yes, on each connection the passenger can choose between Delta One Suites or Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort and Main Cabin. And all members of our Skymiles program will be able to enjoy free wi-fi on board."

Will we see the debut of your newest aircraft in the Italian market?

"Delta's fleet is evolving rapidly with the entry of more and more new machines. However, still for this year the connections between Italy and the US will not see the use of either A330neo or A350-900. This will definitely happen in the future, but in 2024 flights will be operated with a mix of Airbus A330ceo and Boeing 767s. So the fleet deployed between Italy and the U.S. in 2024 will be consistent with the fleet deployed this year."

After Naples, do you see 'room' for more markets in our Peninsula?

"Well, let's say that the 'ideal coverage' is never reached. In the near future our gaze will go to Sicily, which is growing enormously from a tourism point of view, and Sardinia, which is a top destination still little known to American customers. Among cities, I would say that Bologna is proving to be a very dynamic market, also because of its considerable 'catchment area.'"

Do you expect repercussions from Ita Airways' long-awaited transition with Lufthansa and Star Alliance, from the point of view of feedering your flights out of Italy?

"I cannot deny that an effect will undoubtedly be there, although for the time being the partnership is continuing. However, the strength of our transatlantic network with Air France/KLM and Virgin Atlantic allows us to be comfortable in any scenario."