Delta has announced plans to restart flights between London Heathrow and Detroit later this month.

The US carrier said that a three times weekly service would launch on May 23, operating as follows:

  • DL17 departing London Heathrow at 1255 on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, arriving into Detroit at 1630
  • DL16 departing Detroit at 1800 on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday, arriving into London Heathrow at 0855 the following day

Note that the flights will operate to and from Heathrow Terminal 2, as Terminal 3 is currently closed.

The route will be served by a B767-300 aircraft, which will also offer 26 tonnes of cargo capacity. Delta said that the resumption of flights “has been driven by an increase in cargo demand between the UK and United States during the COVID-19 pandemic”.

The cargo will be transported between London and Chicago, via Detroit, but passengers will only be able to fly on the transatlantic stretch of the journey.

“Keeping global supply chains open is more important now than ever and these new services will enable suppliers to meet the needs of their customers,” said Shawn Cole, Vice President – Delta Cargo.

“We’re receiving daily requests for shipments of medical supplies as well as goods that keep businesses in operation. By also opening these services to passengers, we can facilitate essential travel between the UK and United States.”

Delta said that a number of measures have been put in place to ensure the safety of customers on its flights, including the sanitising of aircraft before every flights, capping capacity to ensure onboard spacing, and requiring employees and customers to wear face masks or coverings inflight.

delta.com