Nigeria Content Online

Delta Airlines, an
international carrier operating into Nigeria has announced that it has
airlifted over two million air travellers from Africa since it commenced
operations in the continent in 2006.

The United
States-based carrier, which provides flight services in seven cities and
six countries in the continent, disclosed that Africa accounts for
about 27 per cent of its total revenue coming only second to the US
domestic market with 53 per cent. The airlines also offer 6,800 seats
weekly between Africa and the U.S.

Bobby Bryan, the
airline’s Commercial Manager for East and West Africa, who disclosed
this told reporters at a briefing in Lagos that the carrier’s year on
year improvement is about $878million.

Out of the two
million passengers transported from Africa, Mr Bryan explained that
336,000 travellers were airlifted from Nigeria to the United States
since it started operations in the country in 2007.

“2010 is quite
profitable for the airline with about $929million profit recorded in the
third quarter,” he said. “We are delighted to be in Africa and we
appreciate our Nigerian partners who have supported us this far.”

Mr Bryan said that
the Delta Airlines is exploring opportunities to work with Air Nigeria,
an indigenous carrier with operations on the domestic routes.

He described the
fact that airlines like Arik Air and United Airlines have commenced
operations on the Nigeria-US route, a positive development.

“We very much
welcome our competitors in the market and we are glad to have them here,
but we feel that or network is the strongest point that we have,” Mr
Bryan said.

“The Nigerian market is a rapidly developing market and we feel that
as the market increases we will get our fair share of the market and the
travelling public.”