Delta Air Lines looks set to announce its first nonstop service to Singapore, and the smart money is on a launch from either Los Angeles or Seattle. The route would stretch to roughly 18 hours in the air, putting it among the longest flights from North America, and Delta is expected to fly it with the Airbus A350-900 — the largest aircraft in its current fleet, ahead of the bigger A350-1000 joining next year.

Singapore isn't unfamiliar territory for Delta. The airline served the city until 2019, but only via Tokyo Narita. Going nonstop would be a first, and it fits a broader push: Delta has been building out its Asia-Pacific network from the West Coast, with recent nonstop additions from Los Angeles to Hong Kong and Manila.

So which city wins? Los Angeles is currently Delta's busiest Asia-Pacific gateway — around 1,595 flights to the region scheduled for 2026, or more than 30 per week. Seattle isn't far behind with 1,459 flights, and together the two airports account for nearly half of Delta's entire Asia-Pacific operation. From LA, Delta already flies to Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Tokyo Narita, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Manila and Brisbane; from Seattle it reaches Tokyo Haneda and Narita, Seoul, Shanghai and Taipei.

If Delta does land in Singapore, it won't have the place to itself. Singapore Airlines flies to Los Angeles up to 11 times a week and also serves New York-JFK, Newark, San Francisco and Seattle nonstop — making it by far the biggest Singapore-to-US operator. Delta would likely start small, at around three weekly flights, less than a third of Singapore Airlines' capacity on a Los Angeles route.

Seattle's own Singapore story has been a rollercoaster. Singapore Airlines launched the nonstop in September 2019, dropped it during the pandemic, came back via Vancouver in late 2021, then restored nonstop service in June 2022. Meanwhile Air Canada's Singapore–Seattle route, running since April 2024, ends in January 2027 after the carrier cited weak commercial performance — a reminder that ultra-long-haul routes are a tough business.

For travellers, the news is straightforward: another option for reaching Southeast Asia without a connection. Seattle in particular has become an impressive Asian gateway, with nonstops to Beijing, Chongqing, Haikou, Hong Kong, Manila, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Taipei, Tokyo, plus Emirates to Dubai and Qatar Airways to Doha. A Delta flight would add SkyTeam mileage options and likely competitive fares on a route where Singapore Airlines has long called the shots.

No launch date or ticket sales have been confirmed yet, so treat the 'flights now' chatter with caution until Delta makes it official. But with Cirium schedule data pointing to LAX and SEA as the obvious launchpads, an announcement feels close. Frequent flyers on the West Coast who've been paying Singapore Airlines premiums should keep an eye out — three new weekly widebody rotations could soften pricing on one of the world's longest routes.