Delta flies back to Manila in 2027
After battling to secure a slot at the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), Delta Air Lines has finalized its return to the Philippines, announcing on Friday that it will launch nonstop flights between Manila and Los Angeles beginning in March 2027.
This service will mark the first time the Atlanta-based carrier flies back to the Philippines since it suspended operations in 2021 amid disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Under the schedule, flights from Los Angeles International Airport will begin on March 28, 2027, initially operating three times a week before increasing to daily service on June 7. Departures from Manila will begin on March 30.
Once operations begin, Delta will become the only US carrier offering nonstop flights between Manila and Los Angeles.
“As we continue growing across the Asia-Pacific region, Manila represents an exciting opportunity to introduce more travelers to Delta’s premium experience while expanding access to our global network,” said Jeff Moomaw, Delta’s vice president for Asia-Pacific.
The airline will operate the route using its Airbus A350-900.
The Manila service will also complement Delta’s joint venture with Korean Air, which already connects passengers between North America and the Philippines through Seoul’s Incheon International Airport.
Los Angeles serves as Delta’s primary gateway on the US West Coast, where the airline operates more than 160 departures during peak days to over 50 destinations.
Over the past year, Delta has expanded its network from Los Angeles with new services to Hong Kong, Melbourne and Chicago, resumed flights to Shanghai and announced upcoming routes to Vancouver and Newark.
The Manila route also concludes Delta’s effort to secure “commercially viable” slot times at Naia, a campaign that at one point saw the airline challenge Philippine Airlines’ (PAL) bid to mount nonstop Chicago flights.
In a filing with the US Department of Transportation last March, Delta asked regulators to defer action on PAL’s application until its own access to Manila was assured, arguing the need for “reciprocal opportunity.”
But the airline withdrew its objection in April after receiving assurances that the Philippine Civil Aeronautics Board would “act favorably” on its request for a Naia slot.
Days later, PAL announced that it would begin nonstop Manila-Chicago flights on Nov. 9, making Chicago its eighth destination in the United States.
