Delta Air Lines has renewed its bid for additional air connectivity between South Africa and the US, arguing that the current cap on frequencies no longer reflects growing demand between the two markets.
The airline raised the issue during a stakeholder roundtable marking 20 years of operations in South Africa, attended by executives from both its US and South African teams.
David Werner, Managing Director of International and Regulatory Affairs for Delta Air Lines, said strong growth in tourism and business travel between the two countries pointed to an opportunity to revisit existing air service arrangements.
"Against that backdrop, the fact that there are no additional available routes right now between the countries is significant. All of them are being used. It suggests that it's time for us to maybe revisit the topic of route frequencies to meet the needs of a market that has grown materially in the last two decades."
Werner said that arrivals from the US to South Africa had exceeded 430 000 in 2024, following strong growth in 2023 as direct connectivity improved.
"The growth we've seen points to sustained demand, positive momentum and a broader opportunity to align future air access with South Africa's tourism and trade ambitions."
He added that Delta remained committed to growing its presence in South Africa but acknowledged that any expansion would require engagement between the two governments.
"We are very interested in continuing to grow our presence here in South Africa and exploring opportunities to further strengthen connectivity between our countries over time. We say all this out of great respect and a spirit of partnership. We understand that any increase in frequencies requires engagement and approval from appropriate governments and analysts, and we welcome that dialogue,” said Werner.
Bilateral agreements
Delta Air Lines executives explained that growth was currently limited by the bilateral air services agreement between South Africa and the US.
Werner said the agreement currently permitted 23 weekly frequencies between the two countries and right now all of those were being used, so it would take an agreement between the two countries to increase the total.
Asked whether carriers were likely to continue shifting capacity between Johannesburg and Cape Town in the absence of additional frequencies, Matt Long, Managing Director for Europe and Africa at Delta, said the airline’s preference remained growth rather than redistribution.
"We don't really see a change in terms of the patterns of where we're flying. If anything, we would like to increase frequencies, particularly in Cape Town."
The airline currently operates daily services to Johannesburg and thrice-weekly flights to Cape Town, with additional Cape Town frequencies shifted from Johannesburg to Cape Town during the peak summer period.
Politics not impacting bookings
Responding to questions about strained diplomatic relations between South Africa and the US, Delta executives said they had seen little evidence that political tensions were affecting travel demand.
"Consumers typically don't pay attention to what's happening between the two countries and kind of ignore the geopolitical noise that's out there," said Long.
Werner added that aviation connectivity often became even more important during periods of political tension.
"The connectivity and travel kind of transcends that," he said.
"Especially when things are maybe not at their best, the connectivity is so vital because it's symbolic and it's also tangible for keeping the dialogue going and showing the importance of the relationship."
Long-term commitment
Delta executives repeatedly emphasised the airline's long-term commitment to the South African market, noting that the carrier had maintained its presence through economic downturns, fuel price spikes and the pandemic.
"The only time we pulled out was through the COVID pandemic, which was an anomaly," said Rob LeBel, Managing Director of International and Specialty Sales.
"We stuck through the market through some other thin times as well. The banking crisis in 2008; we've had oil spikes like we’re going through right now, but we stayed in the market."
Looking ahead, the airline said Africa would remain strategically important to its global network and reiterated its desire to expand when opportunities arose.
"After 20 years of flying to South Africa, we are not looking to slow down," Werner said.
"If anything, our experience here has only strengthened our interest in the market and our enthusiasm for South Africa's long-term growth and success."
