It turns out that Delta’s planned Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP) and Seoul Incheon (ICN) flights may not be the only new route coming to the airline’s Midwestern hub.
CEO Ed Bastian told the Star Tribune that the airline wants to launch nonstop flights between MSP and Mexico City (MEX). In his words, “we aren’t ready to announce that, but it’s clearly our goal to be able to fly that … so I think you will see us do that in the not too distant future.”
Much like the flights to Seoul give Midwestern travelers a better way to connect to destinations throughout Asia, this planned route could provide Delta flyers a hub to continue throughout Central and South America due to Delta's joint venture with Aéromexico. And Mexico City is an exciting place in its own right.
Our Analysis
It’s clear that the major factor behind Delta’s decision to fly MSP to ICN isn’t just getting passengers to Korea, but rather to a major hub to connect onward throughout Asia. That’s possible due to a stronger partnership with Korean Air, the main airline of Korea whose hub is in Seoul.
Delta has been building those same connections with Aéromexico, Mexico’s flag carrier based out of MEX. Direct flights to MEX would augment MSP’s existing flights to Mexico that get winter-weary travelers to the beach.
Delta already flies from MSP to Cancún (CUN) year-round. And there are seasonal routes to Puerto Vallarta (PVR), San José del Cabo (SJD), Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo (ZIH) and Mazatlán (MZT). However, the average traveler is flying to Cancun or Cabo for vacation, and not to catch another flight.
Aeromexico flies from its hub to dozens of destinations throughout Central America and South America. And the joint venture between the two airlines helps create a seamless way to hop on a Delta flight to Mexico City, then continue onward. Think São Paulo, Bogotá, Lima, Quito, Buenos Aires and more.
And Mexico City itself is worth a visit. It’s one of the largest cities in the world, full of incredible food and culture to soak in. Delta already flies to MEX from some of its biggest hubs, including Atlanta (ATL), New York City-JFK (JFK), Los Angeles (LAX) and Detroit (DTW).
Bottom Line
It’s an exciting time to be a traveler based out of Minneapolis. With the coming route to Seoul and a possible flight to Mexico City on the horizon, the options are expanding. And it’s only getting easier to explore new places that once took several connections and complex itineraries.