African Milestone

Delta Air Lines has become the first US major in five years to operate a service to the African continent.

The carrier's inaugural flight to Johannesburg landed yesterday (see picture above), completing a 20-hour journey from Atlanta via Dakar in Senegal.

Delta, which has never before operated any routes to sub-Saharan Africa, will also launch a service next week from New York to Accra in Ghana.

Africa has not been served by any US major since 2001, when both Delta and TWA dropped their Cairo services. But the US government, by signing open skies agreements with several African countries, has been trying to promote more direct air links with Africa. Miami airport also has been holding an annual conference with the Foundation for Democracy in Africa to promote more US-Africa links. More flights between the USA and Africa are seen as a must if efforts to boost trade and economic ties between the two are successful.

Miami is now trying to woo South African Airways (SAA), which used to serve Miami, and Kenya Airways, which is looking at adding its first US destination. SAA also flew to Atlanta until earlier this year. The switch prompted Delta, which had been a codeshare partner with SAA, to look at launching its own Johannesburg service. Delta recently inked a codeshare pact with small domestic carrier Nationwide Airlines, which will carry Delta's code on its flights within South Africa.

Not many US majors, however, seem interested in Africa. Even Delta, which is looking to further grow its market-leading transatlantic operation, says no more African destinations are on its radar screen. Delta says forward bookings of its new African routes are encouraging, with most sales to Ghana generated from the USA and the Johannesburg flight receiving equal bookings from South Africa and the Americas.

Below is a picture of (left to right) US Consul General Stephen Coffman, Delta vice president of sales and affairs for Europe, Middle East and Africa Frank Jahangir and chief executive of South African tourism Africa Moeketsi Mosola cutting the ribbon following Delta's arrival yesterday at Johannesburg.