DL announces ATL-JNB Delta's official press release. Awesome news!!!
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Delta Air Lines Announces Service between Atlanta and Africa
Customers will enjoy service to Johannesburg, South Africa; Dakar, Senegal
this December, given required government approvals
Delta to be only U.S. airline to operate scheduled service
between the United States and Africa
ATLANTA, Feb. 9, 2006 – Delta Air Lines – the United States’ fastest growing international carrier – today announced that it is seeking the necessary government approvals to become the only U.S. airline to operate scheduled service between the United States and Africa. In a filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Delta is requesting government approvals to begin the first ever Delta-operated service between the world’s largest airline hub in Atlanta and the burgeoning South African city of Johannesburg, with an intermediate stop in Dakar, Senegal, effective in December 2006.
In a press conference held today at The Jimmy Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young joined other Georgia business and civic leaders to applaud Delta’s efforts to connect Atlanta – the seventh-largest home to South African-born residents of the United States – the business capital of South Africa.
“I am proud that Delta has decided to initiate service to South Africa and become the only U.S. carrier to serve the continent,” Young said. “Delta’s service between Atlanta and South Africa promises to be one of the most successful routes on the planet due to the reach and convenience of Delta’s Atlanta hub. I look forward to flying Atlanta’s hometown airline non-stop to Africa.”
Added Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin, "For many years, Delta Air Lines has been a faithful supporter of the city's efforts to raise its stature as a best in class, global city. Through the strategic partnerships and direct flight routes to international destinations in Asia, Europe, North, South and Central America originating from the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, Delta has helped foster the city's international, economic and cultural ties and has expanded Atlanta's access to the world."
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With the new service, Delta will enter a new continent for the first time since its historic expansion into South America in 1997 and will grow to offer customers more than 60 international destinations from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport by December – up more than 50 from the number of destinations offered just 10 years ago. Delta customers traveling to or from Africa via Atlanta will have convenient connecting opportunities to more than 140 North American cities.
“Delta’s new service to Africa will mark many firsts for our hometown of Atlanta and for our customers, including the first non-stop service between Atlanta and Senegal on the West African coast, and the first Delta-operated service from Atlanta to Johannesburg,” said Jim Whitehurst, Delta’s chief operating officer. “We encourage our customers to make their support for Delta’s first service to Africa known to help ensure a speedy approval from the U.S. Department of Transportation for this historic new route.”
Delta’s proposed service between Atlanta and Johannesburg via Dakar will be available for sale to customers as soon as Delta receives required approvals from the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Delta plans to offer daily service to Africa with the Boeing 777 aircraft featuring 50 Business Class and 218 Economy Class seats. Customers flying to or from Africa in Delta’s award-winning BusinessElite cabin would enjoy access to the airline’s personalized dining service, which allows them to enjoy award-winning wines and cuisine at anytime during the flight when it’s most convenient for them. Additionally, beginning later this year, Delta will provide customers with a more comfortable and entertaining international BusinessElite experience offering all-leather seats and state-of-the-art digital technology.
“As evidenced by our recent growth in most every corner of the globe, Delta is making decisive moves to establish itself not only as the U.S. airline of choice but as a global leader,” Whitehurst said. “We intend to offer customers service to more worldwide destinations than any other airline and to distinguish our service with a mix of style and hospitality that is being defined by our enhanced product and network offerings. We look forward to introducing our customers to a series of product enhancements this year such refreshed BusinessElite seats, refurbished Economy class cabins, a new domestic long-haul product featuring live TV, and more stylish uniforms that will redefine Delta to our customers around the globe.”
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Delta’s proposed service to Africa is the latest in series of more than 50 new international routes added or announced by Delta in the last year as part of the largest international expansion in the airline’s history. During 2006 Delta will offer more flights between the United States and destinations across Europe, India and Israel than any other airline; will continue to be one of the fastest growing carrier to destinations across Latin America and the Caribbean, with more than 35 destinations added or announced since 2005; and will be the only U.S. carrier to offer customers service to nine unique destinations across the Atlantic: Kiev, Ukraine; Moscow, Russia; Istanbul, Turkey; Budapest, Hungary; Athens, Greece; Nice, France; Stuttgart, Germany; Mumbai, India (via Paris); and Chennai, India (via Paris), in addition to proposed service to Dakar, Senegal and Johannesburg, South Africa.
Separately, Delta also announced today that it has received U.S. Department of Transportation approval to add non-stop flights between Atlanta and a seventh country in South America with new daily service between Atlanta and Quito, Ecuador, with continuing service to Quayaquil. The new service, subject to Ecuadorian government approval, will begin on June 8 and will expand to 14 the number of capital cities served by Delta throughout South and Central America.
For more information about Delta’s new international routes or to book tickets, visit delta.com.
Delta Air Lines (Other OTC: DALRQ) is one of the world’s fastest growing international carriers with more than 50 new international routes added or announced in the last year. Delta offers daily flights to 503 destinations in 94 countries on Delta, Song, Delta Shuttle, the Delta Connection carriers and its worldwide partners. In summer 2006, Delta plans to offer customers more destinations and departures between the U.S., Europe, India and Israel than any global airline, including service on 11 new transatlantic routes from its Atlanta and New York-JFK hubs. Delta also is a major carrier to Mexico, South and Central America and the Caribbean, with more than 35 routes announced, added or applied to serve since Jan. 1, 2005. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 14,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
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Sean
Africaspotter- 02-09-2006
Cool, but is there really no American airline flying to Africa? That would be unbelievable!!!
Felix
cigar- 02-09-2006
AFAIK North American Airlines fly a B767 to ACC a couple of times a week, but other than that DL are the only ones! Given their financial plight at the moment I'd never had though DL would start up the route, with SA and UA codesharing on the US flights I'd have thought UA might have had a go on the JNB run.
KQ- 02-10-2006
Cool, but is there really no American airline flying to Africa? That would be unbelievable!!!
North American Airlines has had scheduled service between JFK & ACC for a while now using 763ERs. This flight does well and is almost always fully booked as it cuts travel time to the US in almost half by eliminating the need to transit through Europe (with the associated hussles of obtaining transit visas, long transit periods et al.).
I think Delta's claim as being the only American carrier to offer America-Africa services is nothing more than a marketing gimmick. However, they are a welcome addition to Africa and I am glad their financial standing seems to be improving by the day.
Cheers,
Walter.
navi1- 02-12-2006
Yes - seems hard to believe but true - very few if no direct routes between america and africa. lots to europe.
Navi1
KQ- 02-13-2006
Yes - seems hard to believe but true - very few if no direct routes between america and africa. lots to europe.
Navi1
Maybe it's because most of Africa's commerce is mainly with Europe and Asia. Notable is also Europe's colonial connection with Africa. America ranks distant in these parameters and it is not surprising that direct airlinks are quite few as you rightly mentioned.
Cheers,
Walter.
SA744- 02-13-2006
I think UA will eventually start flying to JNB. There are a few slots allocated to American carriers..
cigar- 03-01-2006
Seems to be going 100% according to plan. Guess where me and my camera will be on Dec 4!!!
Delta Receives U.S. DOT Approval to Begin Flights between Atlanta and Africa in December
Flights to Dakar, Senegal, with continuing direct service to Johannesburg, South Africa, now available for sale to customers
ATLANTA, Feb. 28, 2006 – Delta Air Lines – the United States’ fastest growing major international airline – has received the necessary U.S. government approvals to begin flights between the world’s largest airline hub in Atlanta and the burgeoning South African city of Johannesburg, with an intermediate stop in Dakar, Senegal, effective Dec. 4, 2006. Beginning today, customers can purchase tickets for these new flights at delta.com and through other ticketing channels.
“We are delighted that the U.S. Department of Transportation has acted so quickly to grant Delta’s request to connect the business capital of the Southeastern United States with the business capital of South Africa via our flagship international hub in Atlanta,” said Glen Hauenstein, Delta’s executive vice president of Network Planning and Revenue Management. “We are grateful to our customers and civic supporters for their role in voicing support for this historic new route and we look forward to welcoming customers from around the world to and from Africa as we inaugurate service in December.”
With the new service, Delta will become the only major U.S. airline to offer non-stop service between Africa and the United States and the first airline to offer non-stop service between Atlanta and Senegal on the West African coast.
The new service, subject to certain foreign government approvals, will operate as follows:
Flight Departs Arrives
34 Atlanta at 3:55 p.m. Dakar at 5:15 a.m. (next day)
34 Dakar at 6:30 a.m. Johannesburg at 4:30 p.m.
35 Johannesburg at 6:50 p.m. Dakar at 1:50 a.m. (next day)
35 Dakar at 3:05 a.m. Atlanta at 7:25 a.m.
The new service also marks the first time since 1997 that Delta has entered a new continent from Atlanta and expands to more than 60 the number of international destinations that Delta plans to serve from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport by December – up from the approximately 14 international destinations offered 10 years ago. Thanks to this continued expansion, Delta customers traveling to or from Africa via Atlanta will have convenient connecting opportunities to more than 140 North American cities.
Delta will operate its new service to Africa with Boeing 777 aircraft featuring 50 Business Class and 218 Economy Class seats. Customers flying to or from Africa in Delta’s award-winning BusinessElite cabin will enjoy access to the airline’s personalized dining service, which allows them to enjoy award-winning wines and cuisine at anytime during the flight when it’s most convenient for them. Additionally, beginning later this year, Delta will provide customers with a more comfortable and entertaining international BusinessElite experience offering all-leather seats and state-of-the-art digital technology.
Delta Air Lines (Other OTC: DALRQ) is one of the world’s fastest growing international carriers with more than 50 new international routes added or announced in the last year. Delta offers daily flights to 503 destinations in 94 countries on Delta, Song, Delta Shuttle, the Delta Connection carriers and its worldwide partners. In summer 2006, Delta plans to offer customers more destinations and departures between the U.S., Europe, India and Israel than any global airline, including service on 11 new transatlantic routes from its Atlanta and New York-JFK hubs. Delta also is a major carrier to Mexico, South and Central America and the Caribbean, with more than 35 routes announced, added or applied to serve since Jan. 1, 2005. Delta's marketing alliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 14,000 flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member of SkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensive worldwide destinations, flights and services. Customers can check in for flights, print boarding passes and check flight status at delta.com.
evanb- 03-02-2006
Any idea on frequencies?
I suspect that regulatory approval in SA may be more difficult and take longer. I suspect that SAA will lobby against this move!
eway- 03-02-2006
At the moment it is showing as a daily schedule in Galileo, sold on a 777 as Flight DL 34..
1234567 ATL1 JNB 1555# 1630 DL 34 777
eway- 03-02-2006
Meant to say, showing from 4 Dec as daily on Delta 34 with 777 equipment
evanb- 04-24-2006
As I suggested a couple of months back:
SAA will discontinue services to ATL and instead operate daily to IAD. No news yet on ORD. Interestingly there is an equipment change to A340! I think this is to do with 5th freedom rights that they were expected for the ACC-IAD leg which have not ben granted and have forced SA to stop in DAK instead!
The SAA release in I-Net Bridge:
South African Airways will introduce a daily service on its route between Johannesburg and Washington-Dulles International airport. As a result, it will discontinue its daily service to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International airport.
The airline's route between Johannesburg and Washington was launched at the end of June 2005 with four flights a week, including an operational fuel stop in Accra, Ghana. South African Airways' new daily service from Johannesburg will now feature a brief stop in Dakar, Senegal, offering passengers the opportunity to connect to points throughout West Africa.
To service the expanded schedule, SAA will introduce its flagship Airbus 340 aircraft on the route, replacing the Boeing 747-400.
SAA was recently inducted as a member of the global Star Alliance network. The new daily service between Johannesburg and Washington will more closely align the airline with fellow Star Alliance carrier United Airlines. -- I-Net Bridge
Africaspotter- 04-26-2006
And allm over a sudden, Dakar has two scheduled airlinks to the US...
Cheers,
Felix
cigar- 06-21-2006
Interesting to see that the equipment for this flight (according to delta.com and amadeus) has been switched to a B763ER again. Initially it was a B763ER, then a B772ER and now a B763ER.
Who knows what will arrive in JNB in December????
Africaspotter- 09-04-2006
Hi there,
some recent news on the subject. Delta will use Boeing 767-300s, seating 216 passengers, 32 of them in business class and will stop over in Dakar, Senegal. Flights will start December 5.
Cheers,
Felix
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