Delta Air Lines touched down in Melbourne on 5 December with the inaugural flight of its thrice-weekly Los Angeles service operated by a 275-seat Airbus A350-900 . The route is now the U.S. carrier’s third-longest worldwide and puts Delta head-to-head with Qantas and United on the lucrative LAX–MEL city pair.
The Victorian Government chipped in AU$7 million under its Industry Partnership Programme to secure the service, which is projected to inject more than AU$385 million in annual visitor spending into the state economy and support exporters with direct cargo capacity. Melbourne Airport expects a record 2.5 million international passengers over December–January, with Delta’s arrival playing a key role.
![Delta Air Lines launches non-stop Los Angeles–Melbourne flights, intensifying trans-Pacific competition]()
For globally mobile employees, the service offers SkyTeam connectivity to eight long-haul Delta destinations from LAX and provides an alternative alliance option to oneworld (Qantas) and Star Alliance (United). Corporate travel buyers gain additional negotiating leverage, while travellers benefit from Delta One suites and Premium Select cabins.
Analysts say the competitive pressure could trigger fare softness on trans-Pacific premium cabins during shoulder periods. Delta has hinted at moving to daily frequencies once additional A350s arrive, and Qantas has capacity flexibility following the return of its full A380 fleet, setting the stage for an intense battle for corporate accounts in 2026.
The Victorian Government chipped in AU$7 million under its Industry Partnership Programme to secure the service, which is projected to inject more than AU$385 million in annual visitor spending into the state economy and support exporters with direct cargo capacity. Melbourne Airport expects a record 2.5 million international passengers over December–January, with Delta’s arrival playing a key role.
For globally mobile employees, the service offers SkyTeam connectivity to eight long-haul Delta destinations from LAX and provides an alternative alliance option to oneworld (Qantas) and Star Alliance (United). Corporate travel buyers gain additional negotiating leverage, while travellers benefit from Delta One suites and Premium Select cabins.
Analysts say the competitive pressure could trigger fare softness on trans-Pacific premium cabins during shoulder periods. Delta has hinted at moving to daily frequencies once additional A350s arrive, and Qantas has capacity flexibility following the return of its full A380 fleet, setting the stage for an intense battle for corporate accounts in 2026.
