Delta set for December take-off

JOY ORLEK DELTA AIR Lines hoisted its flag in the South African market last Monday, three weeks ahead of the launch of a daily service between Johannesburg and Atlanta on December 5. Using a Boeing 767-300ER, the airline will fly Johannesburg – Dakar – Atlanta, offering 2.5 – 5.5 tons of cargo capacity per flight. It has embarked on an international expansion drive which will also see the launch of an Accra – New York service on December 5. GSAfrica has been appointed to represent the airline in the whole of South Africa and Senegal and will provide a vital link to Southern African and Indian Ocean Island markets through interline agreements with regional carriers. Cargo has gained increasing focus for Delta which set up a separate cargo unit in 1996. “Although we don’t have any freighters and rely on belly capacity in passenger aircraft, the airline has put a lot of effort into cargo,” says EMEA regional director cargo sales and operations, Danita Waterfall-Brizzi, who was in Johannesburg last week to promote the service. The airline will focus on both imports and exports and believes its strong US network offers significant benefits. “With 700 daily flights into the US, combined with our trucking network, there’s generally no longer than a 48-hour connection out of Atlanta to any US destination,” says regional manager cargo for the Atlantic region, Helena Haubova, who was also in South Africa last week to touch base with local shippers and forwarders. The airline’s international expansion drive has added a string of new flights into South America, while new destinations to be added in spring include Dubai, Bucharest, Prague, Vienna and Pisa. While initial cargo capacity on the service is limited, Waterfall-Brizzi does not rule out the possibility of an aircraft upgrade in the near future. “The airline reviewed revenue-generation opportunities recently and took a decision to redeploy some of its domestic aircraft into international expansion. “We have used all existing aircraft but have Boeing 777s on order in 2008 and that could create opportunities for expansion on a range of routes in the future,” she said.