Nigeria, US deepen ties, as Delta launches services  to Lagos from New York

• Trade between nations totaled $10.4b in 2019

United States based airline,Delta Air Lines has returned its operations at Lagos’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport to pre-pandemic levels. This comes as the carrier launches nonstop service between the capital and New York-JFK four times a week.

Before now, the airline operated daily flights between its base in Atlanta to Lagos, as it is the sole airline from Nigeria that operates direct flights to Lagos, Nigeria from Atlanta, Georgia.

The flight from New York-JFK joins Delta’s existing daily service to Atlanta, which restarted last September following a short suspension due to the airport’s closure at the height of the pandemic.

The choice of non-stop services to Delta’s largest hubs enables customers to connect onto flights to 130 destinations across the U.S. within four hours of arrival in either Atlanta or New York. Delta flies Airbus A330-200 aircraft to Nigeria, which include Delta One business class, complete with fully flat-bed seats and aisle access for all, as well as Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin.

Delta’s Commercial Director, Africa, Bobby Bryan said, “Delta is the longest-serving U.S. airline in Nigeria and the country remains an important market for us”.

“Facilitating trade, as well as providing valuable air links for families and friends to re-connect is key to our mission here in Nigeria and around the globe. Never has this been more important as the world recovers from the pandemic.”

The additional service from New York also provides cargo customers with increased capacity for the safe transportation of cargo from Nigeria. With short connection times in New York, cargo can be swiftly forwarded to destinations throughout the U.S. and beyond.

Delta’s flights to Lagos, which have been in operation since 2007, support the continued economic and trade ties between Nigeria and the U.S.. Data from the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative shows that the value of U.S. goods and services trade with Nigeria totaled an estimated $10.4 billion in 2019 with exports valued at $5.3 billion and imports into the U.S. worth $5.1 billion.

U.S. foreign direct investment in Nigeria (stock), meanwhile, was $5.5 billion in 2019, a 21.5% increase from 2018.

Customers traveling between Nigeria and the U.S. are encouraged to review entry requirements prior to travel. You can find details on the Delta Discover Map  on delta.com or check the official government websites. Delta’s dedicated Travel Planning Center also contains detailed information for customers traveling internationally.

Delta prioritizes the health and safety of customers and employees above all. Layers of protection include regularly sanitizing high-touch surfaces and replacing onboard industrial-grade HEPA filters twice as often as recommended.

In addition to safer travel as part of the Delta CareStandard  all customers flying between the U.S. and Nigeria will enjoy hundreds of hours of in-flight entertainment options on personal seat-back screens, including titles from Nollywood. Delta’s award-winning customer experience also features touchless technology via the Fly Delta app.

Customers also have more flexibility than ever to plan and rebook their trips with an industry-leading travel credit extension for all tickets expiring in 2021 and all tickets purchased in 2021 through Dec. 31, 2022. For more information on Delta, please visit delta.com.

Wole Shadare