VZCZCXRO0182
RR RUEHDU RUEHJO
DE RUEHSA #4978 3421221
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 081221Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY PRETORIA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7230
INFO RUEHTN/AMCONSUL CAPE TOWN 3690
RUEHDU/AMCONSUL DURBAN 8388
RUEHJO/AMCONSUL JOHANNESBURG 5852

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