The most recent schedule modification by Delta Air Lines adds three additional nonstop routes to New York City.
Beginning on January 9, 2023, Delta, which has hubs at both LaGuardia Airport (LGA) and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), will introduce service to three surrounding regional markets, as first indicated by Cirium timetables and later confirmed by the carrier.
The airline will add specifically:
• LGA: Greater Binghamton Airport (BGM)
• LGA — University Park Airport (SCE)
• JFK — Ithaca Tompkins International Airport (ITH)
Up to twice a day will be flown on each of the three routes until the end of the programme (with some weekend days only operating on a once-daily frequency).
Each route will be flown by Endeavor Air, a Delta Connection affiliate, using a 76-seat CRJ-900.
The new routes are essentially a zero-sum game for Delta.
That's because, starting on January 9, 2023, the airline will discontinue service from its hub at the Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) to all three of the aforementioned regional destinations.
It is important to note that the Detroit flights were only flown once day on smaller aircraft, but the New York service will be run up to twice daily.
This change in regional connectivity may be good news for (the few) New Yorkers who wish to travel to Binghamton, Ithaca, or State College. It also enables Delta to increase the number of connecting options available to passengers traveling from other locations that offer nonstop service to New York City to one of these cities.
Those attempting to connect from these three marketplaces to locations further west in the country will undoubtedly suffer from it.
If customers want to fly with Delta, they will now have to fly over these cities in order to connect in New York.
"We continue to monitor and alter our schedules based on demand and to best fulfill our customers' demands," Delta said in a statement.
These routes are Delta's most recent additions to its New York-based regional connections.
The airline added the 101-mile journey to Hartford, which is the shortest flight departing from LaGuardia, earlier this year.
A new four-times-daily service between LaGuardia and Dulles International Airport (IAD) close to Washington, D.C., was introduced by the airline last month.
Many aviation experts view these brief trips as "slot squatting," despite the fact that Delta can undoubtedly promote these new flights to locals and certain connections.
Airlines require takeoff and landing clearances from the Federal Aviation Administration in order to operate at the capacity-limited LaGuardia and JFK Airports.
These authorizations, also referred to as slots, are frequently "use it or lose it" agreements, so if Delta weren't able to fill its entire schedule of slots, it would be at risk of losing a lucrative slot to one of its rivals.
Some industry insiders think that these brief regional routes are designed to "slot squat," or fill the calendar with less expensive regional operations without ceding a valuable slot to a rival, in order to avoid that.
Prior to the epidemic, airlines were granted slot waivers, which let them cancel flights without having to worry about losing these priceless resources.
However, these brief exemptions are no longer in effect.
Given the expanded regional connectivity from New York, Delta appears to be carefully watching how its slots are being used to ensure that it continues to hold sway as the biggest airline in the city.
Of all, with the advent of all these regional routes, it's plausible that Delta is gradually changing its New York approach.
Although origin and destination (O&D) traffic has traditionally dominated the New York City market, it's possible that the airline now sees the benefit of connecting customers through the area.
That's something United excels at in the neighborhood of Newark, where it runs a hub with lots of nonstop service for residents and a vast regional network that provides connections for travelers going to and from locations like Albany and Scranton.
Nevertheless, a lot of these brand-new Delta lines aren't always motivated by demand.
Considering that it only takes a few hours to drive to many of these places.
It may be quicker for some people to drive from New York to Binghamton, Ithaca, or State College than it is to fly after taking into account the time for security, the walk to your gate, and a potential air traffic control delay.
The biggest losers may be locals who desire more competition in the market as Delta appears to be doing whatever it takes to maintain their slots (and therefore likely lower fares).
It's unlikely that Binghamton, Ithaca, and State College would be the first three locations to debut on other airlines if these slots were instead given to a rival airline.
Just ask United, the airline that formally ceased operations at JFK once more on October 29 due to a dearth of available slots.
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