October 27, (THEWILL) – The longest-serving U.S. airline to Africa, Delta Air Lines, will resume its non-stop service between Lagos and New York-JFK in December, restoring this popular route in time for the festive season.
This is just as the airline appointed Nicolas Ferri as its vice president, Europe, Middle East, Africa and India (EMEAI), effective November 1.
For the new route, Delta will operate non-stop flights between Murtala Muhammed International Airport and New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport three times a week, effective December 8, 2022.
The airline will also continue to connect Lagos to Atlanta daily. With connections to 46 cities at Delta’s JFK hub, it’s easy for customers to reconnect with family, friends and enjoy new experiences across the United States.
Commenting, Jimmy Eichelgruen, Delta’s commercial director for Africa, the Middle East and India said, “Pre-pandemic, the U.S. was one of the most popular destinations for Nigerians and we don’t see any signs of this slowing down. We’re proud to be the only airline connecting Nigeria nonstop to two destinations in the United States, offering more choice and award-winning service whether traveling for business or leisure.”
Delta has scheduled an Airbus A330-200 aircraft on the JFK route, which features a choice of Delta One, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin seats. Throughout the aircraft, customers will enjoy personal seatback entertainment screens with new premium content and on-demand Wi-Fi for purchase with free mobile messaging.
During the meal service, customers receive a choice of entrée alongside an appetizer and dessert in addition to a full bar selection or soft drink. Those traveling in Delta One can pre-order their in-flight meal and enjoy complimentary lounge access, including to Delta Sky Clubs in the U.S., before they fly.
Delta has maintained safety-focused operations throughout the pandemic and continues to evolve its layers of protection to offer customers a safer travel experience. Meanwhile, Delta’s new health credential solution, Delta FlyReady, takes the guesswork out of meeting health requirements and syncs to customers’ itineraries to make travel more convenient by enabling most customers traveling to the U.S. to upload a negative test result prior to travel.
On the new appointment, Ferri, who is based in Paris, will oversee key strategic commercial and customer experience initiatives in the region, working closely with Delta’s European Joint Venture partners Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic, as the airline focuses on rebuilding its trans-Atlantic network.
In his comment, Alain Bellemare, Delta’s President – International said “Delta is the preferred carrier across the Atlantic and Nicolas’ vast international and alliances experience will be vital to our continued success as demand picks up and we reopen travel corridors across the region. With customers returning to the skies, we look ahead to 2022 and the rebuilding of our international portfolio with optimism.”
Prior to his appointment, Ferri served as chief commercial officer at Delta’s partner, Aeromexico since August 2019. In this role, he led Aeromexico’s Revenue Management, Network Planning, Corporate Strategy, Distribution, Global Sales, Alliances, e-commerce, Customer Care and Loyalty functions.
“It’s a pivotal moment joining the EMEAI team and leading our regional efforts as the U.S. reopens to international travel,” said Ferri.
“I’m looking forward to meeting our customers and working closely with our partners to grow our business and build on Delta/Air France/KLM/Virgin Atlantic’s leading transatlantic joint venture.”
Ferri has been with Delta for 10 years, serving in leadership roles across the airline’s alliances, international, and commercial divisions. In addition to his secondment to Aeromexico, previous roles with Delta include Vice President, Latin America and Vice President Alliances Americas where he was responsible for the region’s profitability and the integration between Delta and its alliance partners across the Americas.
He brings with him broad industry experience, having lived and worked in 10 countries across Europe, Latin America, North America and Asia.
Anthony Awunor, is a business correspondent who holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Linguistics (UNILAG). He is also an alumnus of the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology (NCAT), Zaria Kaduna State. He lives in Lagos.
