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 its US and South African teams.
David Werner, Managing Director: International and Regulatory Affairs for Delta Air Lines, said strong growth in tourism and business travel between the two countries points 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 past two decades.”
Werner said arrivals from the US to South Africa 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.”
Delta remains committed to growing its presence in South Africa but Werner acknowledged that any expansion will require engagement between 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,” he said.
Bilateral agreements
Delta Air Lines executives explained that growth is currently limited by the bilateral air services agreement between South Africa and the US.
Werner said the agreement currently permits 23 weekly frequencies between the two countries and all of those are being used so an agreement between the two countries is needed to increase the total.
Asked whether carriers are likely to continue shifting capacity between Johannesburg and Cape Town without additional frequencies, Matt Long, Managing Director: Europe and Africa for Delta, said the airline’s preference remains 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.
Safari demand remains resilient
Delta executives described leisure travel as one of the strongest drivers of demand on the route, particularly from the US market.
Rob LeBel, Managing Director: International and Specialty Sales for Delta, said South Africa continues to attract strong interest from tour operators and high-value leisure travellers.
“The highest-volume channel is US point-of-sale tour operator traffic coming here to go on safari and one-of-a-kind cultural tours. Black heritage cultural tours are really picking up.”
LeBel said demand remains remarkably resilient despite global uncertainty.
“We see it in the data and we hear it from our travel agency partners whose phones are still ringing off the hook with demand. It’s just amazingly resilient.”
LeBel also pointed to broader demographic trends in the US, including a growing number of retirees prioritising international travel. “There’s a huge Baby Boomer generation retiring right now with a higher net wealth accumulation than we’ve ever seen in the history of the US. And as they retire, number one on their to-do list is to travel internationally.”
Politics not impacting bookings
Responding to questions about strained diplomatic relations between South Africa and the US, Delta executives said there is little evidence that political tensions are affecting travel demand.
“Consumers typically don’t pay attention to what’s happening between the two countries and ignore the geopolitical noise,” said Long.
Werner said aviation connectivity often becomes even more important during periods of political tension.
“Connectivity and travel transcends that, especially when things are not at their best. 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 has 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 LeBel.
“We stuck through the market and some other thin times: the banking crisis in 2008 and oil spikes like we’re going through right now.”
Looking ahead, the airline said Africa will remain strategically important to its global network and reiterated its desire to expand when opportunities arise.
“After 20 years of flying to South Africa, we are not looking to slow down,” Werner said.
“Our experience here has only strengthened our interest in the market and our enthusiasm for South Africa’s long-term growth and success.”
