Delta, a member of the Skyteam alliance, has confirmed its arrival at Geneva for the 2023 summer season. From April 10, 2023, it will offer daily service between Geneva and New York (JFK) as part of a major expansion of its routes to Europe. The route will be operated every day with a 238-seat Boeing 767-400ER aircraft.
In this year of air traffic recovery, Geneva Airport welcomes the arrival of a new and reputable airline to complement its long-haul offering. Intercontinental connectivity is indeed a priority for the airport, serving international Geneva, the region's economy and tourism.
Following the end of the pandemic, the transatlantic market is currently experiencing encouraging growth. From Geneva, the four existing daily flights have been reestablished. They have been very successful, with average load factors of over 90% in the summer of 2022.
Therefore, the arrival of a new player is a complement to the existing offer and should find its place in a balanced way, while creating healthy competition. As a reminder, the number of direct transatlantic flights from Geneva had not evolved for more than 10 years.
Due to the high demand, many passengers to and from the US currently connect via other European airports. An additional direct link to the US therefore makes sense in terms of comfort and efficiency.
In addition, tourist demand for Switzerland from the USA is strong, as this summer's hotel figures show. It is expected to grow even stronger. The new route will benefit the region's tourism industry, as the high purchasing power of the strong dollar will stimulate tourism. Similarly, the diplomatic sector will have more flexibility and choice, for example during major conferences in Geneva or New York.
Like the other major US airlines - Delta's model is based on serving a main hub. Thus, the choice of JFK airport is dictated by the strength of the connecting air network, with a large majority of passengers travelling to other cities in the United States, or even North or South America.
As André SCHNEIDER, CEO of Geneva Airport, points out: "This Delta route is welcome and proof of the attractiveness of Geneva Airport for intercontinental flights. It adds a complementary offer to the existing routes to/from Geneva and brings a new player offering a quality service in a very dynamic market.
Furthermore, the arrival of Delta is extremely positive for the cargo sector, bringing a diversification of capacity to the market. The US is currently the largest market for air trade, both for imports and exports. The availability of this cargo service will be of great benefit to certain sectors of Geneva and French-speaking Switzerland's industry, while avoiding unnecessary and costly trucking via other logistics platforms. As with any new long-haul route, this will have positive economic effects in terms of employment at the airport and on the economy of the region.
Information and reservations on the company's website.