Delta on Tuesday announced the results of a vote to determine the carrier’s next Mediterranean destination.
The airline allowed employees and SkyMiles members to vote for one of three potential locations – Sardinia, Italy; Malta; or Ibiza, Spain. Because employees voted for Malta and loyalty members preferred Sardinia, Delta said it will add both to its summer 2026 schedule.
The airline will serve both destinations from New York-JFK. Service to Sardinia, Italy will start May 20, 2026, and operate four times weekly, while service to Malta will launch June 7, 2026, and run three times weekly.
Delta will serve Sardinia connecting its New York hub with Olbia-Costa Smeralda Airport, on the Northeaster coast of Sardinia, approximately a 3-hr drive from the main town Cagliari but close to the exclusive resort towns of Porto Cervo and Porto Rotondo.
Both routes will use Boeing 767-300ER aircraft.
Delta said its first ever “Route Race” contest was inspired in part by the May launch of its service from New York-JFK to Catania, Italy, as well as increasing demand for Mediterranean island destinations.
This summer, the carrier is operating its largest-ever transatlantic schedule, with new routes to Barcelona, Brussels, Copenhagen, Dublin, Milan, Naples, and Rome. It has also increased service to Athens, Munich, and Zurich.
