Delta Air Lines has released details surrounding its Atlanta-Cape Town route. The new, year-round route is a non-stop flight due to take off on 24 October.
The flight details between Johannesburg, Cape Town and Atlanta are as follows:
| Flight Number |
Departs |
Arrives |
| DL204 | Johannesburg at 17h15 | Cape Town at 19h30 |
| DL204 | Cape Town at 21h30 | Atlanta at 06h45 (next day) |
| DL204 | Atlanta at 17h45 | Johannesburg at 15h45 (next day) |
In May the airline announced the retirement of its Boeing 777 fleet by the end of 2020. This will make Delta the first major US airline to do so. The airline will therefore only make use of its A350-900s and A330-900neos, according to One Mile at a Time.
Questions were raised about the ATL-JHB route, Delta’s longest flight (13,583 km) and the ability of the A350-900 to make the non-stop return flight back.
The non-stop flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg is doable for the A350-900, but the Johannesburg to Atlanta flight was a concern. The flight is westbound and so the aircraft will face significant headwinds. O R Tambo International has an altitude of 5,500 feet which impacts takeoff capabilities, according to One Mile at a Time.
The airline will be operating a A350-900 on this route according to Tourism Update. The stop in Cape Town will therefore be to refuel the airplane before making the journey back to America.
There is still much uncertainty around when South Africa’s borders will reopen to international leisure travel. In light of this, Delta will be offering flexibility with tickets.
Delta has also implemented a new standard of clean as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, to put travellers’ minds at ease.
Image credit: Twitter/ @Delta
