(Ecofin Agency) - Delta Air Lines has introduced a new service to Lagos, Nigeria from its New York-JFK hub.

Planned to operate thrice a week, the service is expected to start from March 24, 2018, and will complement the existing one to Lagos from Atlanta. Current flights from Atlanta ply four times a week.

According to the company, flights will operate three times weekly, complementing the existing four-times-weekly service from Atlanta. “JFK is one of Delta’s gateways to the world, and we’re proud to make that world a little smaller with the launch of service to Lagos. This new route to the African continent joins existing service from JFK to Dakar and Accra and follows new trans-Atlantic routes to Lisbon, Berlin and Glasgow that began this spring. We’re proud to continue to grow and refine our network to serve the more than 27 million Delta customers that pass through New York every year,” said Henry Kuykendall (photo), Delta’s Vice President-New York.

Delta is the leading U.S. airline in Africa, serving four cities; Ghana, Senegal, South Africa and Lagos. The airline serves more than 180 million customers each year, offer service to 329 destinations in 59 countries on six continents. It operates a mainline fleet of more than 800 aircraft.

“Nigeria has been a strategically important market for Delta over the past 10 years and is a mainstay in our African network. As we look ahead to the next decade, we are improving the product offering with the A330 and increasing the number of seats from Lagos,” Dwight James, Delta’s Senior Vice President – Trans-Atlantic, added.

Anita Fatunji