For Paris, the big day has arrived.

After years of preparation, more than 10,000 athletes from around the world are now approaching the start line for the 2024 Olympic Games.

Meticulous preparations are likely to ensure smooth running – despite some last-minute attempts to derail the showcase.

Team USA are well placed for success, with Delta Air Lines have transported athletes to the French capital ahead of the event.

“Every member of Team USA has been chasing their gold-medal winning dream for most of their lives and Delta is honoured to have the opportunity to support them in their journey to make that dream a reality,” explained a Delta Air Lines spokesperson.

As part of a years-long partnership, Delta will manage travel for all United States Olympic and Paralympic athletes as they make their way to Paris.

In total, the airline is expected to carry more than 1,100 members of Olympic Team and an estimated 900 members of the Paralympic Team to the event, including athletes, staff and coaches.

Whether carrying future gold medallists or the team behind the team that supports the athletes, Delta is working to support all of Team USA.

Team USA will depart from several domestic hubs, including Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) JFK in New York (JFK), home of Delta Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL), Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport (MSP), Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC) and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW), with Delta flying more than five international flights daily with Team USA personnel in the build-up to the opening ceremony.

Team USA travellers will come from as many as 50 origination cities across the United States, before boarding their direct flights to CDG.

Delta also anticipates carrying approximately 5,000 checked bags for Team USA Olympians and around an estimated 3,200 checked bags for Team USA Paralympians – including everything from shotputs and javelins, right through to swimming trunks and running spikes.

Ahead of the event, Delta unveiled a custom Airbus A350 Team USA aircraft livery in Toulouse, honouring the commitment to celebrate the athletes’ journeys.

The Team USA-inspired A350 celebrates the eight-year partnership Delta has maintained with the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, which runs through the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Delta Air Lines chief marketing officer, Alicia Tillman, said: “This plane, designed by our in-house creative team, represents Delta’s commitment to Team USA and our partnership to elevate these athletes to reach their highest potential.

“As this plane flies around the world in the coming months and years, we hope it is seen as a symbol of hard work, dedication and the upward momentum to being the best that Team USA and Delta innately share.” 

The custom livery was designed over several months by Alessandra Rabellino and Delta’s internal brand design team, Window Seat.

The bespoke design boasts red, white and blue colours with ‘Team USA’ proudly written across its side and maintains elements of the Team USA Livery design for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Beijing 2022, as a nod to the beginning of the partner journey, while also incorporating features that look ahead to Paris and beyond.  

“We evolved one of the main features from the Beijing Livery – the jet stream – into the shape of the Eiffel Tower, symbolizing momentum as we countdown to Paris,” Rabellino said.  

The work with Team USA is part of a wider commitment to Paris this summer from Delta.

The carrier flies direct to Paris Charles De Gaulle from 11 hubs and cities across the United States, including a new direct service from LAX that was added earlier this year to support increased demand.

Delta is the only carrier to offer a morning departure from JFK to Paris and is adding additional flights to the City of Light from Cincinnati and Detroit.

To learn more about routes to Paris and other European destinations this summer, click here.

Elsewhere, Delta is now running its largest-ever trans-Atlantic schedule.

The Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) network connects 34 cities across 14 United States gateways, with capacity up two per cent year-on-year to offer over 14 million seats across 55,000 flights.

This summer, Delta has also launched new services and has increased routes to destination such as Ireland, Zurich, Paris, Venice and more.

Delta works with its Blue Skies partners - Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic - who together serve the North America to EMEA market for customers.

The joint venture is growing four per cent year-on-year, offering over 30 million seats across 110,000 flights per year, extending reach to over 235 cities across North America and over 195 cities across the EMEA region.

Delta is the largest United States-based carrier in France, leading with over 20 per cent of capacity between France and the United States during peak summer.

Plus, this month, Delta One customers departing Paris can sample two limited selections from Guy Martin, chef of Le Grand Véfour restaurant in Paris, which has previously been awarded three Michelin stars.

Savor the rich taste of slow-cooked lamb shoulder in rosemary sauce with summer vegetables, or haddock served with tarragon polenta, asparagus and buttered peas in shellfish sauce. 

Chef Martin, a self-taught prodigy highly decorated in his native France, is also the author of numerous cookery books and the host of the television program Épicerie Fine.

For Delta One customers flying JFK to LAX or SFO, Union Square Events, a Danny Meyer concept, is serving up tasty treats like pastrami short rib with BBQ jus and chicken scarpariello with roasted lemon.

More Information

More than 90,000 Delta people lead the way in delivering a world-class customer experience on over 4,000 daily flights to more than 275 destinations on six continents, connecting people to places and each other.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Delta operates significant hubs and key markets in Amsterdam, Atlanta, Boston, Detroit, London-Heathrow, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York-JFK and LaGuardia, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Salt Lake City, Seattle, Seoul-Incheon, and Tokyo.

Powered by innovative and strategic partnerships with Aeroméxico, Air France-KLM, China Eastern, Korean Air, LATAM, Virgin Atlantic and WestJet, Delta brings more choice and competition to customers worldwide.

Delta Air Lines is considered the World’s Leading Airline to North America by voters at the World Travel Awards.

Find out more about the journey to the 2024 Olympic Games here.