Delta Air Lines has revealed that it will be launching a new route between Cape Town and Atlanta on Saturday, December 3.
According to the American airline, the new route will offer more opportunities for customers originating in Cape Town to connect on to scores of destinations across the US, and a direct route for those in the Americas to visit the highly acclaimed Mother City and Western Cape region.
In a statement, Delta said the new flight builds on the airline’s commitment to the South African market and its current service between Johannesburg and Atlanta, which launched in December 2006.
It said that it will operate up to 10 times weekly between South Africa and the US with a triangular service that kick-starts Delta’s operations in Cape Town this summer.
The airline’s nonstop flights from Cape Town to Atlanta will start effective December 18 and will operate three times weekly with departures on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays.
Paul Hassenstab, Delta’s director of sales for Europe, the Middle East, Africa and India (EMEAI), said they’re already seeing tremendous demand for their flights to South Africa and adding their second gateway to the country with their Cape Town service is proving popular as their customers seek new experiences.
“In just a year we have increased capacity to South Africa by a staggering 67%, contributing to the recovery of the tourism sector in Cape Town and the region overall as we reaffirm the strong business ties between our two countries,” said Hassenstab.
The airline also revealed that Cape Town and the Western Cape are popular destinations for US visitors and the US is now the leading point of origin for inbound tourism to South Africa, providing valuable support for the country’s economic recovery.
Cape Town’s mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said he is delighted to welcome Delta’s new direct Cape Town-Atlanta flight to the Mother City.
“This route will offer unprecedented ease of access to our city for travellers from the south-eastern United States and — through Delta’s extensive connecting flight offering — the whole of North America. Capetonians look forward to extending the best of South African hospitality to every passenger arriving here from Atlanta,” said Hill-Lewis.
Wesgro CEO and the official spokesperson for Cape Town Air Access, Wrenelle Stander, said the US became South Africa’s number one overseas market for trade and tourism last year, and so far this year it is Cape Town’s second-largest passenger market with two-way passenger volumes reaching 105 000.
“This market’s outstanding performance owes a lot to airlines such as Delta for their commitment to the destination. We are extremely excited about these two new routes as they will continue to boost tourism, economic relations and business opportunities between Cape Town and the United States,” said Stander.
Flights between South Africa and the US are available for booking via travel agents, Delta’s reservations team at 011-408-8200 or online at Delta.com.
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