Premium takes shine as Delta Air Lines returns New-York-Lagos flights after 2-years

• Airbus A330 service takes off December 1

• Ghana, South Africa service fleet for upgrade

Sade Williams/Business a.m.

Ahead of a busy summer travel season, American carrier, Delta Air Lines, has put plans in place for its transatlantic operations into Africa for the winter season, the airline gave hint to this effect as it announced the relaunch of flights to Lagos, Nigeria from John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, United States.

The Atlanta-based airline also disclosed plans to upgrade equipment on flights to Accra, Ghana, and South Africa that would see passengers availed with newer premium experiences. It said these changes will be rolled out in June, September, and October.

Delta is the largest carrier between the United States and Africa carrying an estimated 500,000 passengers per year on more than 34 flights weekly.

JFK – MMIA, back after two years

It has been two years since the airline flew the route and it will be returning daily service from its hub at John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) in New York to Murtala Muhammed International Airport (LOS) in Lagos, Nigeria, from December 1st. The last time the airline served the route was in October 2022 using Boeing 767-300ER, data from Cirium, the aviation analytics and data firm, shows.

When it returns, the carrier will utilise the Airbus A330-200 on the route.

According to monitored reports, flight details are still to be disclosed with Delta yet to update its December flight schedule with the service, but it has confirmed that the route’s frequencies will be daily through January 16, 2025, when it will then be three times weekly.

“Delta currently operates daily service between Atlanta and Lagos and, with the resumption of daily New York-JFK service, will offer a total of 14 weekly flights to Nigeria in December through the first half of January and 10 weekly flights for the remainder of winter 2024,” the carrier explained.

The airline’s A330-200s can accommodate 223 passengers in a three-class configuration. They have 34 Delta One seats with spacious lie-flat beds and “an extensive food and beverage program that includes thoughtfully curated menu options, as well as specialty snacks and premium beer, wine, and spirits.”

The Delta Premium Select cabin, otherwise known as premium economy, has 21 recliner seats, giving passengers “more space to relax and stretch out.” The seats also have a deeper recline and adjustable foot and legrests.

Once on board, customers in Delta One can look forward to an extensive food and beverage program that includes thoughtfully curated menu options, as well as specialty snacks and premium beer, wine and spirits.

Customers flying in Delta Premium Select will have more space to relax and stretch out, with a wider seat, deeper recline, an adjustable footrest and leg rest.

All customers can enjoy a wide selection of in-flight entertainment options – movies, TV series, music, podcasts and more – via Delta Studio. Delta also partners with diverse suppliers worldwide for in-flight products such as artisan-crafted amenity kits and beverages like Thrive Farmers Tea.

More premium seats

The airline is reportedly the first US-based carrier to inaugurate service to Ghana and is the largest operator in the market, with daily service from JFK year-round. In late October of this year, the airline plans to upgrade the aircraft operating the route from the 767-300ER to the A330-900neo, which seats 281 passengers. The change will add nearly 1,000 seats per week, representing a capacity increase of 30 percent between Kotoka International Airport (ACC) and JFK.

Flights from Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) to O. R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) serving Johannesburg and Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in South Africa will also see fleet upgrades as Delta is preparing to introduce a “higher-premium” version of its A350-900, designated by the code “35H.” The cabin configuration on the aircraft provides an additional eight Delta One Suites compared to the standard configuration, bringing the total number of suites to 40.

“Elevated hospitality”

Joe Esposito, Delta’s senior vice president of network planning, spoke about adding more premium experiences to its flights.

“These enhancements reflect our dedication to meeting the evolving needs of our customers. We’re expanding our options for customers to experience the premium service and elevated hospitality they expect from Delta.”