Isle take two: Sardinia and Malta chosen as Delta's newest island destinations

Delta Air Lines launched its first-ever nonstop service between the United States and Malta on 7 June 2026, operating three weekly flights from New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to Malta International Airport (MLA). The carrier deploys a Boeing 767-300ER on the route; outbound flight DL148 departs JFK at 5:05 PM and arrives in Valletta at 8:20 AM the following morning, while the return DL149 departs Malta at 10:20 AM and lands back in New York at 2:40 PM. The service operates on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and is seasonal, running through late October 2026.

Malta marks Delta's entry into a market previously unserved by any North American carrier on a scheduled basis. The route is one of three new JFK–Europe destinations Delta added for summer 2026, alongside Porto and Olbia, Sardinia—all operated with 767-300ERs. Delta cites Sabre data showing roughly 95,000 passengers traveled between North America and Malta in 2025, connecting via European hubs such as Amsterdam and Paris. Both Malta and Sardinia were selected through Delta's inaugural "Route Race," in which SkyMiles Members voted for Sardinia and Delta employees chose Malta, with the airline launching both.

For summer 2026, Delta operates up to 96 peak daily flights to Europe across 28 destinations—a record for the carrier—per Simple Flying. The Malta Tourism Authority has launched a complementary Delta Vacations programme allowing U.S. travelers to book curated packages covering Malta, Gozo, and Comino.

Sources

• https://news.delta.com/isle-take-two-sardinia-and-malta-chosen-deltas-newest-island-destinations
• https://simpleflying.com/delta-launches-new-transatlantic-route
• https://news.delta.com/gate-getaway-how-delta-celebrated-its-newest-european-routes
• https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airports-networks/50-new-routes-launching-june-2026