Delta Air Lines will use its Airbus A321neo aircraft on this route, resulting in increased fuel efficiency while maintaining premium customer services.
WASHINGTON- Delta Air Lines (DL) will begin nonstop flights between Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) and Seattle Tacoma International Airport (SEA) on March 9, 2025, after receiving authorization from the US Department of Transportation (USDOT).
The new route resulted from Delta’s advocacy efforts in support of the FAA reauthorization bill, which President Biden signed into law in May.
Delta Washington to Seattle Flight
The SEA-DCA route was one of five new beyond-perimeter flights approved by the DOT, completing Delta’s connectivity between Washington, D.C. and all three of its western hubs.
Delta Air Lines President Glen Hauenstein stressed the strategic significance of this breakthrough.
Seattle is a key market for our customers, a crucial hub for Delta, and a premier west coast gateway. Delta commends the Department of Transportation for recognizing that additional service from DCA to Seattle will give consumers the much-needed competition and choice they deserve. We look forward to launching a new, premium DCA service in March.”
Community and business groups played critical roles in winning authorization for the Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) to Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) route, emphasizing the service’s economic benefits to both communities.
Delta Air Lines will use its Airbus A321neo aircraft on this route, resulting in increased fuel efficiency while maintaining premium customer services. Delta was awarded by the Port of Seattle for flying the most fuel-efficient aircraft at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) in 2023.
The A321neo service will include Delta Sync, which provides SkyMiles members with complimentary Wi-Fi access throughout the flight. Passengers will have access to Delta Studios’ entertainment platform, which includes movies, television series, music, and podcasts.
Strengthening Seattle Hub
Delta Air Lines is strengthening its Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) hub as a primary Asian gateway, with flights to Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND), Seoul Incheon International Airport (ICN), Shanghai Pudong International Airport (PVG), and Taipei Taoyuan International Airport (TPE).
Beginning in April 2025, Delta will upgrade these Asian routes to Airbus A350 aircraft with 306 seats. This fleet update will add 55,000 yearly seats over present Airbus A330 operations and enhance premium seating capacity by 40% in Delta One and Delta Premium Select cabins.
Seattle-Tacoma International Airport will be Delta’s fourth destination to receive a Delta One Lounge in the summer of 2025. The development will include a new 23,000-square-foot Sky Club on Concourse A.
Joan Wang, Delta’s Managing Director for the Pacific Northwest, highlighted the airline’s regional commitment:
As Delta celebrates more than 90 years of operation in Seattle, the airline continues to grow and expand its footprint in the community through strategic investments and enhanced flight options. And as the largest international carrier in Seattle, we are committed to connecting the world with the Evergreen State and showcasing all Washington has to offer.”
Delta’s Seattle presence began with Northwest Airways in December 1933.
The airline now employs 3,000 people in Seattle and operates almost 170 daily flights to more than 50 locations around the world.
These include Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS), Cancún International Airport (CUN), Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport (CDG), and Licenciado Gustavo Díaz Ordaz International Airport (PVR), as well as destinations in Alaska and Hawaii.
Global Viewpoint awarded Delta’s Seattle operations the 2023 Airline of Choice Award.