Delta Air Lines is bolstering its summer 2026 destination lineup in Europe with new flights to a trendy city in northern Portugal.
The Atlanta-based carrier on Friday announced it’s launching nonstop service next spring from New York City to Porto, Portugal — the beautiful, coastal city known for being the home of port wine.
Delta’s new Porto service will take flight in May from the airline’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) hub; from JFK, the airline is also launching the splashy Sardinia and Malta routes that customers and employees chose in a popular vote last month.
“Whether discovering Portugal or traveling to our other new destinations such as Sardinia and Malta, these additions expand choice for our customers and reinforce JFK’s role as a leading global gateway,” Delta senior vice president of network planning Paul Baldoni said in a statement announcing the news.
Portugal travel boom keeps growing
In launching the Porto service, Delta will also join a growing parade of airlines expanding into Portuguese destinations beyond the capital city of Lisbon. This is a product of Portugal travel continuing to grow at a fast pace.
This year, airlines operated 76% more flights between the U.S. and Porto Airport (OPO) than they did just two years ago in 2023, according to data from aviation analytics firm Cirium.
United Airlines has served the city for the better part of a decade from its nearby Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) hub.
Tap Air Portugal flies nonstop to OPO from EWR and Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).
But Delta’s Porto flights will be the first from JFK when they launch on May 21.
Read more: Best Delta credit cards
Delta’s new Porto flights
The Atlanta-based carrier will fly the route with one of its Boeing 767-300s — specifically, its 767 that has its most up-to-date “76K” configuration featuring premium economy.
The aircraft features 26 lie-flat Delta One suites and 18 Delta Premium Select recliners. Those complement 21 extra-legroom Comfort Plus seats and 151 seats in the main cabin.
Read more: Reviewing the new Delta One Lounge in New York, a stunning masterpiece
JFK-to-Porto will give Delta a total of seven new Europe routes for the summer of 2026. In addition to the aforementioned Sardinia and Malta flights voted on through the airline’s high-profile “route race,” the carrier already announced new Boston service to Madrid and Nice, France, as well as flights from Seattle flights Rome and Barcelona.
Hotel options in Porto, Portugal
Situated nearly 200 miles north of Lisbon and at the mouth of the Douro River, Porto is home to a myriad of hotels that travelers can book with points.
Among them: a Hilton Honors property where one TPG writer saved hundreds of dollars with the help of two travel credit cards.
There are also a half dozen hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio, including the relatively new Renaissance Porto Lapa Hotel that opened in 2023.
The Porto region also sports a variety of Mr. & Mrs. Smith properties now affiliated with the World of Hyatt program.
Related reading:
Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.
