After flying non-stop between Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in seven years, Delta Airlines, United States mega carrier, says it has carried over 770,000 passengers just as it says it remains committed to Nigeria.
Delta remains the only US carrier to operate daily year-round service between Nigeria and the United States offering hundreds of onward connecting opportunities via Delta’s Atlanta hub.
Speaking at an annual media roundtable in Lagos, Bobby Bryan, Delta’s commercial manager East and West Africa, said: “Delta’s flight between Lagos and Atlanta has remained solid, and we have been seeing load factors averaging around 80 percent.
The top US destinations that our customers from Nigeria have been travelling to include Houston, Washington, Los Angeles, Dallas and New York and this year alone we have carried some 100,000 passengers.
“Since our first service to the US in 2007 Delta has flown over 770,000 passengers. It’s incredible to think that is equivalent to the population of the city of Abuja,” he added. He explained that in 2014, from January till date, the airline has carried over 1000,000 adding that it shows the dynamics of Nigerian market, ‘our market is not showing any decline because we see a vibrant market in Nigeria’.
Bryan disclosed that it now has a joint venture with Virgin Atlantic which enables customers to combine fares while frequent flyers benefits a great deal from both sides. The joint , he said, offers a big choice to travellers.
Delta operates flights between Lagos and Atlanta with a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft with up to 208 seats in a two-class configuration featuring 36 seats in BusinessElite, offering fully flat-bed seats with direct aisle and 179 seats in economy class.
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Customers flying in Economy Comfort, Delta’s premium economy service, benefit from up to four additional inches of legroom and 50 percent more recline than Delta’s standard international Economy class seats, as well as priority boarding. Other product initiatives being rolled out across Delta’s international fleet include the expansion of Wi-Fi service by the end of 2016.
Delta flights between Lagos and Atlanta are available for booking via travel agents or Delta’s reservations team on 01 279 9000.
Travellers can also visit www.delta.com for further information and flights schedules.
Delta Airlines serves nearly 165 million customers each year. With an industry-leading global network, Delta and the Delta Connection carriers offer service to 318 destinations in 58 countries on six continents.
Sade Williams
