DELTA AIRLINES LAUNCHES SOUTH AFRICA SERVICE

UNCLAS PRETORIA 004978 SIPDIS SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED SIPDIS TSA PASS TO JHALINSKI, ROME SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: EAIR ECON KHLS KTIA SF SUBJECT: DELTA AIRLINES LAUNCHES SOUTH AFRICA SERVICE REF: STATE 33725 ¶1. (U) Summary. Delta Airlines launched daily direct service from Atlanta to Johannesburg South Africa December 5. The route is heavily booked through January with high passenger load factors and full cargo utilization. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) U.S. carrier Delta Airlines launched a new service between Atlanta Hartsfield International airport and O.R. Tambo International airport in Johannesburg, South Africa on December 5. The route includes a stop in Dakar Senegal for refueling, passenger embarkation/disembarkation and a crew change. Delta is using a Boeing 767 on the route and will replace the aircraft with a larger Boeing 777 if demand increases. Delta is also considering the addition of a direct flight between Atlanta and Cape Town, South Africa. On December 11 Delta will begin service between New York's JFK International airport and Accra, Ghana. ¶3. (U) At a ribbon-cutting ceremony held December 5 South African Tourism CEO Moeketsi Mosala said he was very pleased with the new route and that SAG "would do whatever is necessary to make the route a success". Mosala's remarks were echoed by Delta Sales VP Frank Jahangir and U.S. Consul General Stephen Coffman who both spoke about the improved trade and tourism likely to result from the flight. ¶4. (U) Delta marketing officials noted that fifty five percent of the existing bookings had been sold in South Africa to north-bound travelers and that the remaining forty-five percent had been sold in the U.S. to south-bound travelers. Of the south-bound travelers, thirty percent had onward flights to Cape Town, thirty percent to Durban, ten percent to other capitals in the region (especially Gabarone),with the remaining 30 percent staying in the Johannesburg/Pretoria area. ¶5. (U) Stuffed animal trophies constituted approximately half of the maiden flight's full cargo hold and the remainder was divided between cut flowers and textiles. Cargo officials said they expect heavy utilization year-round. Note: The December market entry coincides with South Africa's busiest summer tourist season. Game hunters visit more frequently in the African winter (June-August) when loss of foliage makes prey easier to shoot. End Note. ¶6. (SBU) Delta is a founding member of the SkyTeam global airline alliance which also includes NorthWest and Continental airlines. Until April of this year, Delta enjoyed a code share arrangement with South African Airways (SAA) on routes from Atlanta and New York to Johannesburg. SAA abandoned the Atlanta route, added a Dulles/Johannesburg route, entered a code share arrangement with United Airlines and joined the Star global airline alliance. SAA is planning to add a Chicago/Johannesburg route early next year. TEITELBAUM