Delta Resumes Non-Stop Flights to Rio and Buenos Aires

Delta Air Lines will soon resume non-stop flights from New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport to Buenos Aires (Argentina) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil).

The Atlanta-based airline says it will use large Airbus aircraft such as the Boeing 767 for these routes, as it anticipates heavy demand for the next winter season.

Delta’s fleets flying between JFK and Rio were grounded in March 2020 amid mounting fears of the Covid-19 pandemic, which bankrupted two Latin American airlines.

The Buenos Aires-NYC route is currently dominated by American Airlines and Aerolineas Argentinas, following the suspension of the route by the US carrier United Airlines in October 2019.

Delta, which holds a 20% stake in a regional carrier LATAM, will likely add moreLatin American routes to its flights list in the coming months. This is the third route Delta has added in the region after regulatory approval of the partnership agreement in late 2022.

Delta offers daily service between JFK and São Paulo, a twice-a-day service between its Atlanta and São Paulo hub and a seasonal service between Atlanta and Rio de Janeiro. LATAM Airlines offers service between São Paulo and five US gateways, including New York (JFK), Boston, Orlando and Miami.

“Together, we’re offering New Yorkers the most flights and the best experience for travel between the two continents,” said Alex Antilla, Delta Vice President for Latin America.