Throughout the pandemic, airlines have been busy adjusting routes to focus only on the most in-demand routes on the market. One such change comes from Delta Air Lines, which brings two routes to Salt Lake City (SLC) back into the operational network.
The regional expansion of the Salt Lake City Delta makes sense. Moab is close to the Arches and Canyonlands National Parks and makes this destination popular in the summer season. While travelers prefer to spend more time outdoors to minimize COVID transmission, airlines have been busy boosting flights to the right destinations.
Air traffic to Salt Lake City proved to be constant during the pandemic. Cirium showed that Delta decreased by only 7% of flights to SLC in the fourth quarter of 2020, compared to the same quarter in 2019. Across the network, this number increases to 63%.
Delta Air Lines adds new routes to the operational network.
Salt Lake City - Moab, May 5.
Starting May 5, Delta will resume daily flights to Moab, Utah (CNY), for the first time since April 2015. The flight will be performed by Delta Connection partner SkyWest Airlines and will be performed with a CRJ-200 aircraft with 50 seats. The route will be scheduled until the end of October.
Salt Lake City - Durango, May 12.
A week later, Delta will start service to Durango (Colorado) (DRO). These flights will be operated twice a day by SkyWest Airlines with a CRJ-200 aircraft. The route will be scheduled until the end of February, at least. The flights to Durango will technically mark the resumption of this route for Delta, which it has not operated for almost 13 years.
In addition, these routes will be in direct competition with those operated by United Airlines, which flies to both Moab and Durango from its mega-hub in Denver.
Salt Lake City - Lincoln, May 26.
Starting May 26, SkyWest Airlines will resume its route to Lincoln, Nebraska (LNK). The flight will be conducted twice a day, using CRJ-200 aircraft with 50 seats.
Delta will also expand the program for the San Juan, Puerto Rico (SJU) route, which was previously scheduled to end in April. Now, the weekly route operated by Boeing 737 aircraft will continue until February 2022, at least.
Los Angeles (LAX) - Houston-Intercontinental (IAH), April 12.
From April 12, Delta will launch a new route between Los Angeles (LAX) to Houston-Intercontinental (IAH). The flight will operate twice a day with Airbus A220-100 aircraft. On this route, United will be in direct competition with Alaska Airlines, United and Spirit Airlines.
Delta Air Lines will add five routes from the Minneapolis hub.
Delta Air Lines will add five routes from the Minneapolis hub, as follows:
| Destination | Flight | Start date |
| Myrtle Beach, South Carolina (MYR) | CRJ-900 | April 17 2021 |
| Portland, Maine (PWM) | A319 | 28th May 2021 |
| Providence, Rhode Island (PVD) | A319 | 28th May 2021 |
| Savannah, Georgia (SAV) | CRJ-900 | April 17 2021 |
| Traverse City, Michigan (TVC) | CRJ-900 | 28th May 2021 |
For four of the five routes, Delta will be in direct competition with the low-cost carrier Sun County (SY) and Spirit Airlines - only for the Minneapolis - Myrtle Beach route.