ATL-JNB via DKR
Delta Adds First S. African Route
Johannesburg, South Africa, looks to be Atlanta-based Delta Air Lines’ first-ever destination to the dark continent, airlines officials said Thursday.
Andrew Young, a former Atlanta mayor and ambassador to the United Nations, joined both leaders from Delta and Atlanta’s business community to make the announcement at a 90 news conference Thursday.
He said, “I am proud that Delta has decided to initiate service to South Africa and become the only U.S. carrier to serve the continent.”
Young said he applauded Delta’s effort to service the seventh-largest home to South African-borne resident of the United States.
“Delta’s service between Atlanta and South Africa promises to be one of the most successful routes on the planet due to the reach and convenience of Delta’s Atlanta hub,” Young said, speaking from the library at the Jimmy Carter Center.
Though the route is expected to take off in December 2006, Delta is still seeking government approval to operate its scheduled service between America and Africa. In an airline statement, Delta is filing for permission to fly from it’s hub in Atlanta to the southeastern African city of Johannesburg.
The route will have an intermediate stop over in Dakar-Senegal.
“I am looking forward to flying Atlanta’s hometown airline non-stop to Africa,” Young said.
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