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Delta Air Lines is adding a 17th route from the U.S. mainland to Hawaii this coming winter — and is connecting its Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) hub with a new Hawaiian island in the process.
This December, Delta will launch new nonstop service from SLC to Ellison Onizuka Kona International Airport at Keahole (KOA) on the Big Island.
The new flights will kick off just in time for the holiday season and run through the winter months.
Meanwhile, Delta will also deploy bigger jets and more weekly flights on a handful of additional Hawaii routes next winter — particularly during the peak holiday season, the carrier announced Friday.
Altogether, it’ll mean new opportunities for travelers — including those with a stash of Delta SkyMiles — to visit the Aloha State when the weather again turns cold throughout much of the country.
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Delta’s new Salt Lake City route to Hawaii
Delta’s newest Hawaii route will take flight Dec. 19, the Atlanta-based carrier said Friday.
The carrier will fly its Kona route with a Boeing 767-300ER through March 28, 2026. We should note that, as of now, Delta does not plan to deploy its 767s sporting Premium Select recliners on the Salt Lake City-Kona route, a spokesperson said. The carrier has some 767-300s featuring the premium economy cabin and others without it.
This will be the airline’s third Kona route; it currently connects to Hawaii Island via its Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) hubs on the West Coast.
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As for Salt Lake City, Kona will be the carrier’s third Hawaii connection link from the airport. Delta already flies from the Beehive State to Honolulu and Maui.
It was already shaping up to be a year of modest growth for Delta at its Salt Lake City hub. The carrier’s total departures during the first half of 2025 were set to rise nearly 5% over last year, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Later this year, the airline is planning to open a new Delta Sky Club in Salt Lake City that will be among the biggest in its entire lounge network.
Kona is one of Hawaii’s numerous beautiful destinations that sports a variety of top-notch hotels, including the recently reborn Kona Village, A Rosewood Resort.
Adding more Hawaii capacity
Beyond the new SLC-KOA route, Delta is bolstering its existing Hawaii service.
This fall, the airline will get a jump-start on its wintertime seasonal service from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to Maui’s Kahului Airport (OGG). Beginning Nov. 6, Delta will fly the route with an Airbus A330-300 aircraft.
It’ll also add a second daily flight to its ATL service to Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu between Dec. 19 and Jan. 5, during the peak holiday season.
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The carrier will get an early jump on its Salt Lake City flights to Maui as well — starting Oct. 6, to be exact — and add a second daily flight during the holidays, too.
Finally, Delta plans to swap in a bigger plane to carry more passengers to HNL via its Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport (MSP) hub during the winter months. Between Nov. 6 and March 28, the carrier’s 282-seat Airbus A330-300 will make an appearance instead of the Boeing 767-300ER, which features up to 226 seats, depending on the cabin configuration.
Delta’s A330-300s have a four-cabin layout with Delta One lie-flat suites, plus Premium Select and Comfort Plus sections.
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