US Airline Delta Plans Flights From Atlanta to Dakar

Washington -- The U.S. carrier Delta Air Lines announced February 9 that it is seeking the necessary government approvals to become the only major U.S. airline to operate scheduled service between the United States and Africa.

In a filing with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), Delta seeks government approval to begin the first-ever Delta-operated service between the southern U.S. city of Atlanta and Johannesburg, South Africa, with an intermediate stop in Dakar, Senegal.  In a press release announcing the move, the airline said it hopes to begin service in December.

Speaking at a press conference at the Jimmy Carter Library and Museum in Atlanta, former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations and former Atlanta Mayor Andrew Young joined other Georgia business and civic leaders to applaud Delta's efforts to connect Atlanta – home to the seventh-largest population of South African-born residents of the United States -- to the business capital of South Africa.

"I am proud that Delta has decided to initiate service to South Africa and become the only major U.S. carrier to serve the continent," Young said, according to the Delta release.

With the new service, Delta would enter a new continent from Atlanta for the first time since its historic expansion into South America in 1997 and would grow to offer customers more than 60 international destinations from Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport by December -- up more than 50 from the number of destinations offered just 10 years ago, the airline release said.

Delta customers traveling to or from Africa via Atlanta would have convenient connecting opportunities to more than 140 North American cities, it added.

"Delta's new service to Africa will mark many firsts for our hometown of Atlanta and for our customers, including the first non-stop service between Atlanta and Senegal on the West African coast, and the first Delta-operated service from Atlanta to Johannesburg," said Jim Whitehurst, Delta's chief operating officer.

Delta plans to offer daily service to Africa with the Boeing 777 aircraft, featuring 50 business-class and 218 economy-class seats.

Delta's proposed service to Africa is the latest in a series of more than 50 new international routes added or announced by Delta in the last year as part of the largest international expansion in the airline's history.

DOT requires that any U.S. airline seeking to fly to a foreign country apply for a license to fly to that country. Upon receipt of the application, the department conducts a review and gives the public an opportunity to comment on the proposed route before making a final determination.

The U.S.-licensed carrier also must be licensed by the country to which it is seeking to fly, according to a DOT spokesman. The time frame for approval can vary considerably depending on the circumstances unique to each case.

Both Senegal and South Africa have signed Open Skies agreements with the United States.

Open Skies agreements set liberal ground rules for international aviation markets and minimize government intervention. Provisions apply to passenger, all-cargo and combination air transportation and encompass both scheduled and charter services. Key provisions in such agreements deal with free-market competition, market pricing, a fair and equal opportunity to compete, cooperative marketing arrangements and safety standards.