US airline Delta is set to start its new direct route between Cape Town and Atlanta in the US on Saturday 3 December.
The airline has already offered direct flights between Atlanta and Johannesburg since December 2006.
The direct flight between Cape Town and Atlanta will be part of a new seasonal triangular route consisting of a direct flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg, which will continue on from there to Cape Town, and then directly back to Atlanta from Cape Town. This seasonal triangular route will be offered until the end of March next year.
This new service will increase Delta’s capacity to South Africa by 67%. On top of that, Delta will start to offer a year-long direct flight from Atlanta to Cape Town and back as from 18 December. From its hub in Atlanta, Delta offers connections to more than 200 destinations.
Paul Hassenstab, Delta’s sales director for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India (EMEAI), said during a briefing on Thursday that the new route will not only offer more opportunities for travelers from Cape Town, but offer those from the US a direct route to the popular Cape Town and Winelands region.
In 2021, the US became South Africa’s number one overseas tourism source market for the first time ever after the UK held the top spot since 1994, according to a new report by SA Tourism (SAT).
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The 14% increase in arrivals from the US (82 020 in 2021, compared to 2020) was also the biggest growth among SA’s top source markets. Revenue from US arrivals – mostly first-time visitors to SA and people over 45 – totalled R2.3 billion in 2021, which was the highest of all source markets.
Pre-pandemic data showed that the US was SA’s second biggest tourism source market, with 373 694 arrivals, compared to 436 559 from the UK and 322 720 from Germany.
A SAT report shows that visitors from the US like SA’s exclusive game reserves and what they regard as affordable luxury accommodation offers. They seek wildlife, natural scenery, beaches, and adventure activities. “We are already seeing tremendous demand for our flights to South Africa,” said Hassenstab.
He added that the new route further enhances cargo potential, including for fruit and auto parts. The other destinations in Africa to which Delta currently flies, are Accra in Ghana, Dakar in Senegal, and Lagos in Nigeria. The airline has a code share partnership with Kenya Airways for intra-Africa travel, and a trans-Atlantic partnership with Air France, KLM, and Virgin Atlantic.
SOURCE: News 24