American Delta Air Lines has announced plans to up-gauge its aircraft on the Lagos to Atlanta route over the Christmas and New Year period operating an Airbus A350-900 to support additional holiday traffic.
According to the airline, effective 16 December 2023 until 14 January 2024 Nigerian customers will have the opportunity to experience the A350-900 offering an additional 166 daily seats between the two countries.
The airline pledged that its customers flying from Nigeria to the U.S. will continue to enjoy the opportunity to fly on full-flat Delta One beds, Delta Premium Select, as well as Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin service.
This is coming as the airline marked its sixteenth anniversary since it starts daily nonstop service between Lagos Murtala Muhammed International Airport and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
The mega carrier remains the only U.S. carrier to operate nonstop service between Nigeria and Atlanta coffering hundreds of onward connecting opportunities via Delta’s leading U.S cities.
In his remarks, Delta’s Regional sales manager for Africa, Jimmy Eichelgruen, said: “Delta’s flight between Lagos and Atlanta has gone from strength to strength, and we have continued to see strong demand for our service to popular U.S. destinations including to Houston, Washington, Los Angeles, Dallas and New York. Traffic between the United States and Africa remains a growing sector in aviation. We have maintained a strong footprint between the African continent and the U.S. and we currently operate service from Nigeria, South Africa, Senegal and Ghana”.
The airline, is also set to roll out across the Delta network, paper cups weighing 1,300 pickup trucks of single use plastics on board its flights annually.
One of the most important considerations in the transition to paper cups is that many versions include a plastic-based liner that can make them harder to recycle.
This is made even more challenging with international regulations and mandates regarding single-use plastic varying significantly, resulting in a patchwork of rules Delta has to consider as a global airline.
If approved the move will help eliminate nearly 7 million pounds the weight of 1,300 pickup trucks – of single-use plastics which will bring Delta one step closer to minimizing single-use plastics on board by 2025.
Equally, the airline has spent years prototyping and testing paper cups capable of withstanding hot, cold and alcoholic drinks while meeting strict environmental regulations.
The paper cups has since December 5, 2023 taken to the skies, for final testing on several transcontinental domestic and select additional flights.
According to the airline, once approved and rolled out across the Delta network, paper cups will help eliminate nearly 7 million pounds the weight of 1,300 pickup trucks – of single-use plastics on board annually and bring Delta one step closer to minimizing single-use plastics on board by 2025.
The airline said it has already removed more than 4.9 million pounds of single use plastics annually since 2022 on its journey to deliver a more sustainable travel experience.
Cups that airlines use on board need to make sure hot drinks stay hot and cold drinks stay cold while holding up to the dissolving properties of alcohol.
Additionally, the cups need to be stackable within the galley carts already in use on aircraft, and be able to separate easily so flight attendants can efficiently serve our customers.
Delta operates to five cities in four African countries: Accra, Ghana; Dakar, Senegal; Johannesburg and Cape Town, South Africa; and Lagos, Nigeria. Delta operates a one-year Business Internship Program in four African nations including Nigeria, enabling students to build on their experience working in a global organization. Delta also supports Junior Achievement Africa.
