Delta Air Lines Launches New 9-Hour Nonstop Route: See Map Now

Published Nov 15, 2026, 3:00 PM EST A graduate in German, Jake has a passion for history and regional aviation, and enjoys sampling new carriers and aircraft. He has visited OEM facilities as far and wide as Bristol, Toulouse, and Seattle, and recently enjoyed the milestone of flying his 150th sector as a passenger. Based in Norfolk, UK. Delta Air Lines began operations on a new seasonal route from Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport (MSP) in Minnesota to Kahului Airport (OGG) on Maui. Having not previously been served, not even by Northwest Airlines before it was merged into Delta, Maui was a key unserved market from MSP, with 66,000 passengers flying each year indirectly. While a domestic route, the length of these flights, which are blocked at almost nine hours in the westbound direction, means that long-haul comfort is required. Delta provides this with the Airbus A330-300, which it operates with 282 seats in a three-class configuration. This new route is seasonal, running until mid-April, and, towards the end of its tenure, coverage will switch from the A330 to the Boeing 767. Delta's New Seasonal Route Credit: BoeingMan777 | Shutterstock Delta Air Lines operated its first flight from Minneapolis to Maui on Monday. According to a corresponding statement released at the time by the Metropolitan Airports Commission (MAC), the Atlanta-based US 'big three' legacy carrier and SkyTeam founding member plans to serve this route five times a week. However, during peak holiday periods and in the spring break, extra frequencies will be added. Delta first announced its plans to link Minneapolis with Maui back in February, giving nine months for excitement around the route to build. On this front, Amy Martin, Vice President of Network Planning at Delta, said the route "strengthens connectivity from an important US hub while giving Upper Midwest customers more choice." Brian Ryks, the CEO of the MAC, spoke about the "demand" between MSP and OGG. "Demand for Maui is high: it’s MSP’s largest unserved nonstop destination. This route will give more options for travelers seeking warm and sunny vacation options over the winter and early spring seasons." Well-Timed For Connecting Traffic In Both Directions Credit: Minh K Tran | Shutterstock At close to nine hours, the westbound leg of this route is one of the longest domestic services in Delta Air Lines' network. Numbered as DL726, it is scheduled to depart from Minneapolis at 11:53 AM local time. This makes it a handy option for passengers arriving in Minneapolis on early-morning flights. It is scheduled to arrive in Maui at 4:29 PM local time, about eight hours and 36 minutes later. Delta Air Lines' Airbus A330-300 Layout Cabin Seats Delta One 34 Premium Select 21 Economy 227 Total 282 Of course, with block time including taxi time at both ends, the actual time spent in the air is closer to the eight-hour mark. Data from Flightradar24 shows that, on November 9, the inaugural flight took eight hours and six minutes, departing at 12:02 PM and landing at 4:08 PM. The return leg is flight DL805 and operates overnight, offering ideal early-morning connectivity upon arrival. After a planned 90-minute turnaround on the ground in Maui, this service is scheduled to depart at 5:59 PM local time, arriving back in Minneapolis at 5:34 AM the next day. This gives it a block time of even hours and 35 minutes. The inaugural iteration of this leg on Monday spent seven hours and nine minutes in the air, taking off at 6:13 PM local time and touching down at 5:22 AM. Delta's 2nd Hawaiian Route From MSP Credit: Felix Tchvertkin | Shutterstock According to Cirium, an aviation analytics company, Delta plans to operate a grand total of 100 rotations on this route with the Airbus A330-300, lasting until late March. However, with the corridor continuing to be served until mid-April, it has thereafter penciled in a further 15 round trips between MSP and Maui with the Boeing 767-300ER. A similar switch is planned for its other MSP-Hawaii route. This corridor links Minneapolis with Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL) in Honolulu. Delta serves this route daily with the A330-300 over the winter, but in mid-April, it will also switch to the 767-300ER. This will correspond to a reduction in frequency to four flights a week, highlighting the fact that demand for Hawaii is strongest in winter. Loading map… Drag to explore