Delta Air Lines’ operation to Nigeria has been a successful story so far and that is what gave the US major carrier to add another route to its Nigeria-US operations.
On Wednesday the airline launched a new nonstop service from Lagos to New York-JFK, linking the financial capital of Nigeria to the financial capital of the world.
Part of the impetus include the fact that its Nigeria’s services contributed significantly in the airlift of over 377, 000 passengers between Africa and the US in 2017 with Nigeria’s contribution of 89, 000.
Corneel Koster, Senior Vice President, – Europe, Middle East, Africa & India, who spoke at programme in Lagos to announce the launch of the new route, said the airline has seen a lot of potentials in the travel industry in Nigeria, ‘especially as Nigeria diversifies its economy’, adding it will continue to harness it, especially when the World Bank has forecast 2.5% Gross Domestic Product (GDP) for Nigeria in 2018.
He said despite slight decrease in passenger traffic on the route in 2017 between the two continents, the airline remains determined that with what the future holds for Africa, traffic will figures will improve.
He said the U.S. goods and services trade with Nigeria has totalled an estimated $9.0 billion in 2016 adding that Delta will now link two financial cities.
Speaking further, he said Delta is the largest carrier connecting the U.S. and Africa with nonstop flights as it operates to four African cities with 44 flights per week.
