Delta Air Lines is set to launch its first-ever nonstop flights between Los Angeles and Manila, becoming the only US airline flying directly between the two cities when service begins March 28, 2027.
That distinction puts Delta in direct competition with Philippine Airlines, the country’s flag carrier and, until now, the only airline offering a direct connection between Los Angeles and Manila.
United Airlines currently serves the route as well, but only by connecting passengers through San Francisco rather than flying nonstop.
The route and the aircraft
To start with, Delta will fly the route three times a week, departing Los Angeles on March 28, 2027 and Manila on March 30, 2027, before expanding to daily service on June 7, 2027.
The flights will operate on Delta’s Airbus A350-900, a twin-engine, wide-body jet configured with four cabins: Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort and Delta Main.
Delta One, the airline’s top business-class product, will come with flat-bed seating, sliding privacy doors and elevated dining. Passengers across all cabins will have access to seatback entertainment, plus free Wi-Fi for SkyMiles members.
For Jeff Moomaw, Delta’s Vice President for Asia Pacific, the new route gives the airline a chance to introduce more travelers in the Philippines to its premium service while extending its global network. “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,” he said.
Part of a bigger push from LAX
The Manila route builds on Delta’s broader effort to establish Los Angeles as its main West Coast gateway for trans-Pacific travel, a shift away from its earlier reliance on Seattle for flights across the Pacific.
Over the past year, Delta has added new LAX services to Hong Kong, Melbourne, and Chicago, brought back its Shanghai route, and announced upcoming flights to Vancouver and Newark.
The airline also plans to lean into its joint venture with Korean Air, giving travelers the choice of flying nonstop with Delta or connecting through Seoul’s Incheon Airport, where Korean Air already runs multiple daily flights to Manila.
Regulatory groundwork
Delta’s plans for the Manila route surfaced earlier this year in filings with the US Department of Transportation. The airline asked regulators to hold off on approving Philippine Airlines’ request to launch service to Chicago until the Philippine government confirmed that US carriers would get fair access to landing slots at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
Delta previously served Manila through connecting hubs in Tokyo and Seoul, before suspending that service in 2021. The airline’s return to the market, this time with a direct route from one of its key US gateways, marks its most significant push yet into a corridor long dominated by the Philippines’ own flag carrier.