The airline’s unusual winter expansion nearly doubles passenger capacity on the key transatlantic route, signaling confidence in business travel recovery between two major economic centers.
Delta Air Lines will launch a second daily nonstop flight between Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and London Heathrow starting October 25, 2025, nearly doubling the carrier’s capacity on this premium transatlantic route during what is traditionally considered the off-peak season.
According to scheduling data provided by Cirium, an aviation analytics company, Delta will operate the new service using an Airbus A330-200, complementing its existing daily flight that uses the newer Airbus A330-900neo aircraft.
The timing of this expansion is particularly noteworthy as airlines typically reduce transatlantic capacity during winter months when leisure travel declines, suggesting Delta anticipates strong business demand between the two global tech and financial hubs.
Flight Details and Schedule
The new flight, designated as Delta Air Lines Flight 292, will depart Seattle at 6:20 p.m. daily and arrive in London at 11:00 a.m. the following day after approximately 9 hours and 40 minutes in the air. The return service, Delta Flight 293, will leave London at 12:20 p.m. and touch down in Seattle at 4:00 p.m. local time after a 10-hour and 40-minute journey.
Delta’s existing service between the cities operates as Flight 260, departing Seattle each evening at 8:25 p.m. and landing in London at 2:15 p.m. the next day. The return Flight 21 takes off from Heathrow at 3:50 p.m. and reaches Seattle at 7:30 p.m.
The Seattle-London routes offer Delta efficient aircraft utilization with minimal ground time between flights, an important factor in fleet deployment decisions for long-haul international service.
Capacity Increase and Aircraft Configuration
The addition will significantly boost Delta’s presence in this market, increasing the carrier’s total monthly flights between Seattle and London from 30 to 60, and expanding seat capacity from approximately 16,800 to over 30,000 monthly seats.
While the A330-200 designated for the new service offers slightly less total capacity than the A330-900neo currently serving the route, it still provides a substantial number of premium seats aimed at business travelers. The A330-900neo features 281 seats including 29 lie-flat Delta One suites, making it one of the carrier’s most premium-heavy aircraft.
Strategic Timing Bucks Industry Trends
Delta’s decision to add capacity during the winter travel period runs counter to traditional airline scheduling patterns, which typically see carriers boosting transatlantic service during the peak summer months and reducing flights during winter.
Industry analysts suggest this move likely reflects Delta’s confidence in growing business travel demand between Seattle’s technology sector and London’s financial and business centers. The additional flight also provides more connection opportunities at Heathrow.
This expansion follows another recent strategic decision by Delta to deploy a widebody Airbus A330 on its summer service between Atlanta and Anchorage instead of adding summer transatlantic capacity, further demonstrating the carrier’s willingness to deviate from industry norms in its network planning.
Key Takeaways
- Delta Air Lines will add a second daily Seattle-London flight starting October 25, 2025, using an Airbus A330-200 aircraft.
- The expansion will nearly double Delta’s seat capacity on the route to over 30,000 monthly seats.
- Unlike typical airline scheduling, Delta is adding this transatlantic capacity for the winter season rather than summer.
- The timing suggests Delta anticipates strong business travel demand between these two global tech and financial hubs.
- This follows Delta’s recent pattern of making unconventional fleet deployment decisions for its widebody aircraft.
