Delta to expand Africa schedule

AFRICA HAS been one of Delta Airline’s biggest success stories and the carrier is set to build on its already firm foundation with an expanded schedule for the year ahead. That’s the message from airline GSSA Anne Sanders, MD of GSAfrica. Delta will add two further destinations into Africa in June 08 – Cape Town on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and Nairobi on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday – both ex New York and both via Dakar. A B767-300 ER with 10-12 ton capacity out of Cape Town and Nairobi will be deployed on the services. “The airline has been very pleased with the South African market and is also seeing encouraging volumes moving out of Dakar,” Sanders told FTW. It’s looking at developing a hub and spoke system transhipping in Johannesburg, Dakar and possibly Nairobi. At the US end, connections from Atlanta are also significantly improved, says Sanders. “Since the airline emerged from Chapter 11 it has employed more managers to oversee imports and exports moving through the Atlanta hub which has streamlined operations.” As GSA for Thai Airways, GSAfrica has also seen appreciable growth in Africa. “The airline has identified Africa as a growth market, particularly in view of China’s growing interest in the region with Zimbabwe and East Africa two of the big focus areas.” And while competition on the Asian route is fierce and eastbound cargo is limited to the likes of seafood and motor spares, Thai’s trump cards are its competitive rates and connections, says Sanders. “We can offer exceptional connections to Japan and China – four times a day to Narita, seven flights a day to Beijing and Shanghai and seven to Osaka and Nagoya. We can also service the growing markets of Vietnam and India.” Growing the African market continues to be a strong focus for the fledgling GSA, which has just celebrated its first year in business. Discussions to extend its reach are ongoing, said Sanders.