Why Delta Airline is reintroducing direct flights from New York-Lagos

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Delta Airline has disclosed plans to reintroduce direct flights from New York to Lagos in December
The airline said the decision came due to a positive customer experience concerning its offerings and overall market demand
The airline will transition from the Airbus A330-200, which carries 223 passengers, to the more spacious Airbus A330-900neo

Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.

The US's oldest airline, Delta Airlines, the world’s seventh oldest global airline, has disclosed plans to reintroduce daily flights from Lagos to New York in December 2024.

The airline will transition from the Airbus A330-200, which carries 223 passengers, to the more spacious Airbus A330-900neo, with 281 passengers capacity.

Delta Airline to increase capacity

The airline disclosed this in a statement on Monday, October 7, 2024, saying that the enhancement shows an increase in capacity and aims to provide an elevated travel experience for the public.

The airline disclosed that the decision shows dedication to aligning its services with customer needs and evolving air travel.

Delta Airlines Head of Sales for West Africa, Mary Gbobaniyi, expressed optimism, saying that the development will add more flights to the Nigerian airspace and came at the right time.

She said increased capacity and a larger aircraft mean more alternatives and elevated experience for its customers.

She said:

“As the leading global airline, Delta’s mission is to connect the world, create opportunities, foster understanding, and expand horizons by connecting people and communities to their potential.

The US foremost airline disclosed that its decision to reintroduce a direct flight was due to customers’ needs.

The statement said the decision to increase its services to Lagos was due to positive customer feedback concerning its offerings and overall market demand.

The airline issues boarding instructions

It advises passengers travelling on flights from Lagos to arrive at the airport for check-in three hours before departure to beat airport security screening hurdles.

It also asked passengers to check in 90 minutes before departure, stating that arriving at the weighing scales at the close of counters would not guarantee check-in and would be deemed late.

Punch reports that the guidelines will help the airline’s passengers with the best service and a stress-free travel process.

Two Nigerian airlines to commence flights to Brazil

The development comes as two Nigerian airlines, Air Peace and Caverton, have been pencilled down by the Nigerian government to operate the Nigeria-Brazil route.

The development follows the beginning of high-level negotiations between Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo and Carlos Gacete, the Brazilian Ambassador to Nigeria, to activate the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) and initiate direct flights between the two countries.

FG moves to activate 2018 deal with Brazil

The development is a sequel to the 2018 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries.

Both envoys emphasised the need for the BASA arrangements to reflect the current global aviation realities.

The meeting came amid the mutual interests shared by President Bola Tinubu and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva during a meeting in Ethiopia in February of this year.

The two presidents agreed to reinstate the BASA arrangements, recognising the cultural ties between both countries.