I always like to wrap up my B2B series of long-haul a/c SIM flights, with a short (or very short) route. After all, one can beg the (reluctant) family members (aka the other virtual co-pilots on my roster...🙂...) ...only for so much assistance; as the SIM's "real" Co-pilots seat quietly (and unresponsively), either looking smug or pretty...🙂...while swinging their heads side-to-side in a robotic (and completely non-human) fashion. So, here we go, as I fly here the shortest (RW) Airbus A350-900 route in U.S., from (KDTW) Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport to (KMSP) Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport; all by myself, the PIC, without any support from another body (either real or virtual) ...🙂...

Now, why Delta? The answer lies in the fact that Delta Air Lines (note that it's two separate words "Air" and "Lines"; respecting the legacy of Delta) is now the oldest U.S. airline still in operation.

Of also historical note: 

1. Delta Air Lines holds the distinction of the world's first commercial aerial crop-dusting company...beating out even the legendary KLM...🙂... Delta, in another name, was founded in 1925 to fight the "boll-weevil" and began its crop-dusting operations before transitioning to passenger service years later.
2. The boll-weevil (a species of beetle) feeds on cotton buds and flowers, that had once infested all U.S. cotton-growing areas in the 1920s, devastating the industry and the people working in the American South (so, Delta came to the rescue...🙂...).

More significantly, I've chosen Delta because it has one of the world's largest Airbus A350 fleets (with 38 A359s; like the one you see below; and 20 A35Xs in order) and was the first North American operator of this widebody type. Delta is the only US carrier to operate the A350. Moreover, it will be also the first North American carrier to introduce the most advanced (and the largest) twinjet Airbus airliner, the A350-1000 (with deliveries expected to start next year). Likewise, Lufthansa will be the first carrier in Europe (and in the world) to fly the Boeing's most advanced (and the largest) twinjet, the 777X, hopefully, also next year. 

I noted that Delta operates a very short Airbus A350-900 flight from Detroit to Minneapolis. Per FlightAware, just a day ago, DAL1303, flew this route of about 560 miles, taking 1hr 57mins of travel time. It's indeed the shortest A350 route in the U.S. The route string is simple (excluding DEP/ARR) "SLLAP Q440 IDIOM". So, for my flight, I've adhered to this RW Route (rather than the default SimBrief Route). Please note that for the iniBuilds A350 (as I understand, also for the RW A350); with engines started, you cannot import the (SimBrief) Flight Plan into the FMC (as Primary Flight Plan). You can import it into the EFB, though. I've recently done (and posted) "Cold & Dark" A350 flights, and this above fact threw me off a bit today, until AI helped me out with an answer...🙂...However, note that the PMDG 777 does allow the import of SimBrief Flight Plan into the FMC, with engines started or not. Anyway, entering the short route string (directly) into the (FMC) LEGS page was not an issue today.

Next, I spent a couple of hours studying the intricacies of airline (and airliner) transport economics and route profitability, via the route I've chosen to fly for this post. So, this below example applies to my (KDTW-KMSP) route (though a long-haul example is also included alongside). Please consider this example to be merely an illustration (i.e., not rigorous).

Revenue Passenger (RP) = 200 [275]
Revenue Passenger Mile (RPM)= RP x Distance = 200 X 560 = 112,000 [1237,500]
Available Seats (AS) = 300 [300]
Available Seats Mile (ASM) = AS X Distance = 300 X 560 = 168,000 [1350,000]
Load Factor (LF) (%) = (RPM/ASM) X 100 = 67% [91%]

Now, what's the Break-Even Load Factor (the % of seats an airline must fill to cover its operating costs for a given flight)?
Break-Even Load Factor (BELF) % = CASM (Cost per ASM) / Yield (Revenue per RPM) X 100
From Delta's 2025 Annual Reporting; let's say, its typical CASM is 18 cents, and typical Yield is 22 cents. So, the BELF = 81%

So, the short (KDTW-KMSP) route in a big A359, is not profitable, but it does have strategic significance, as a connection for onward (long-haul) routes. Next, let's consider one of Delta's long-haul A359 routes (e.g., Atlanta to Amsterdam). Based on data from today's completed flight; the calculated numbers are shown in Bold in the same example above. You will now see that the new Load factor (91%) is greater than the Break-Even Load factor (81%), making this (long-haul) route profitable.

Please find, below, this collection of images of Delta's Special LA Olympics (2028) livery (note the clever use of the Delta logo for the letter "A" in "LA"), painted on one of its A359s (Reg. ID. N522DZ), that I'm flying here for just 560 miles, from Detroit to Minneapolis, in the evening light, overflying the airspace north of my homebase, Chicago, and across Lake Michigan.

BTW, I'm really beginning to like this big (and ultra-modern) airliner more and more...🙂... HUD is now enabled on my Xbox EFB (Equipment) system, but the Cabin is (still) deliberately left out to help with performance...Oh well...not a deal-breaker for me...🙂...

Hope you enjoy this post and happy flying...!

Edited October 24, 2025Oct 24 by P_7878

Nice pictures, and what a cool livery.

If you're curious irl what you'd file it would be:

KDTW MIGGY3 SLLAP IDIOM MUSCL3 KMSP

That's pretty much through my airspace, and jets would always be assigned that route.  After SLLAP, often times aircraft will get  a "shortcut" to SHEAY or JERMN on the arrival.

Sorry, double post...not sure how it happened...

Edited October 26, 2025Oct 26 by P_7878

Just now, P_7878 said:

Thanks.

I know you work up there in that Tower...🙂...Ryan...

Yes, that's exactly what the FlightAware also told me. I wish the iniBuilds A350 allows SimBrief direct import of the Flight Plan string into this Airbus FMC (with engines started) ...but, of course, I could always enter it manually...

I have never flown into or out of KMSP airport myself but have dropped off friends and relatives there. Recall well those massive Parking Garages, seen in the airport shot below, btw, need to get a good KMSP scenery for my Xbox/MSFS2024, the default one does not do justice...🙂...

Cheers...!