US carrier Delta has finally resumed flights from London Gatwick airport for the first time in more than a decade.

Delta relaunched daily year-round flights from Gatwick to New York JFK airport this week as part of its expansion of transatlantic services for summer 2023. Delta last served Gatwick in 2012 when it operated a route to Atlanta.

The airline’s return to Gatwick from April 2023 was first announced in September 2022 – Delta had originally planned to restore services from London’s second largest airport in 2020 before the Covid-19 pandemic struck.

Nicolas Ferri, Delta’s vice president for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India, said: “Delta started flying to the UK 45 years ago this month at Gatwick and so it is fitting that we are restarting our operations from Gatwick to the United States.”

Gatwick CEO Stewart Wingate added that Delta’s return “underlines the competitiveness and the operational capabilities” of the airport.

“Delta is a huge name in the transatlantic market and being able to offer passengers across London and the south-east the opportunity to travel with them between Gatwick and New York City is fantastic, providing not only wider choice, but further competition,” said Wingate. 

“It also demonstrates the strong pull of Gatwick as an airport for big name, long-haul airlines.”

Delta’s joint venture partner Virgin Atlantic ceased operations at Gatwick in May 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic grounded most flights. Virgin Atlantic’s CEO Shai Weiss confirmed last year that the airline had no plans to return to the airport.