Delta and United Vie for Flexible South Africa Flight Schedules
Delta Air Lines and United Airlines have both applied to the US Department of Transport (DOT) for increased flexibility in their flight schedules to Johannesburg and Cape Town to better align with seasonal demand. Delta filed its request on 14th February, proposing to shift two of its seven weekly Atlanta-Johannesburg flights to increase Atlanta-Cape Town services from three to five weekly between late October 2025 and March 2026.
United Airlines followed with a similar request on 21st February, seeking to adjust one of its seven Newark-Johannesburg flights to a Newark-Cape Town service on a year-round basis. Additionally, United has requested approval to operate a Newark-Johannesburg-Cape Town-Newark circular route. Both airlines cited seasonal travel trends, noting peak demand for Johannesburg flights from April to October and for Cape Town between November and April. Should the DOT approve the applications, further discussions will be required with South Africa’s Department of Transport to align with existing bilateral agreements.
Source: Travelnews
