- Delta Air Lines says demand for travel between the US and South Africa remains strong due to increased tourism by business travel and US retirees.
- Executives from US carriers have been vocal about renegotiating US and SA bilateral air services agreements to increase flight frequencies and expand routes.
- He also says Delta's growth and operations in SA have never been hindered by BEE regulations.
- For more financial news, visit News24 Business.
US global carrier Delta Air Lines says business advisors and baby boomer retirees are driving strong growth in demand for travel between South Africa and the US, despite strained relations between Pretoria and Washington.
The airline says its average passenger load factor for the US-SA route has reached between 80% and 90%. The metric measures the percentage of available seating capacity filled by paying passengers.
Delta Air operates daily flights between Atlanta and Johannesburg and weekly flights between Atlanta and Cape Town. Overall, it operates 4,000 daily flights to 275 destinations in 50 countries.
Speaking at a media roundtable in Cape Town on Thursday, Delta Air's managing director of international sales, Rob LeBel, said premium leisure travel between SA and the US had contributed to high load factors. The vast majority of passengers are tourists and expatriates visiting family in South Africa. Lebel also said that consultants traveling on business, as well as employees of humanitarian and non-profit organizations, flew frequently.
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At the roundtable, Lebel said: “Baby Boomers (the generation often defined as people born between 1946 and 1964) are retiring in large numbers, accumulating wealth in a way we haven't seen in America's history with respect to retirement funding – whether it's pension plans with employers, 401Ks, or lucrative retirements through good savings. Now, they want to travel to places they've never been before. They want to go on safari and do wine tasting, which is one of the things South Africa has to offer, they also do a lot of escorted tours, and that channel is booming.
We also see traffic of people doing consulting work coming in and out of South Africa, which is fantastic. Automakers like Ford Motor Company, which is headquartered in Detroit, have a great partnership with us.
according to Research from SA TourismArrivals from the US reached 391,939 passengers in 2025, surpassing pre-COVID levels, and are projected to exceed 400,000 in 2026. Nearly two-thirds of American travelers are over the age of 35.
Research has found US visitors to be among the biggest spenders in South Africa, with total spending reaching R11.8 billion in 2025, and travelers spending an average of R32 200 during their visit. Daily expenses average R2 000.
According to Statistics SAOf the 170 837 tourists who arrived in South Africa in May, almost a quarter (41 846) were American travelers.
Lebel says Delta Air sees SA as a strong aviation market, which the airline first entered in 2006.
After operating on its Johannesburg route for several years, the global carrier briefly halted its operations in SA during the pandemic. However, it resumed operations in August 2021, with an Atlanta–Cape Town route also being added in 2022.
“South Africa has tremendous economic potential…Johannesburg is also a phenomenal connection hub for industry and sub-Saharan Africa. We also take advantage of our partnerships with airlines like Air France and KLM, which serve more destinations than Delta. So, our customers can connect with these airlines to even more destinations in Africa via Europe.”
calls for expansion
Delta Airlines executives have said the US and South Africa need to revisit the possibility of new bilateral air service agreements to approve new routes and increase flight frequencies between the two countries.
David Werner, Delta Air's managing director of government affairs and policy, said the airline had expressed this desire to both the US and South African governments.
He told the roundtable: “We've talked to the U.S. Department of Transportation and the government about this opportunity, but we'll leave it at that. I think there's continued communication between the two governments, and we're aware of the larger political context. We acknowledge that other things are at play, but what we hope to show is continued demand and interest and capacity.”
Asked whether Delta Air would expand to other destinations, such as Durban in South Africa and other cities in the US, Werner said: “We can't talk about any specific destinations, but everything will be on the table.”
BEE has never been an issue
Werner said the SA government has been open and responsive to the concerns of international airlines.
In response to questions about the high costs of operating in Africa and whether Delta Air has experienced regulatory barriers operating in SA, he said: “Nowhere near perfect”.
According to the International Air Transport Association, market growth in Africa has been hampered by infrastructure backlogs, aging fleets, visa issues and fragmented markets. Jet fuel prices rising due to Iran war, association Airline expects profitability Arrivals on the continent will decline year-on-year to $100 million in 2026, with profits per passenger of just $0.04.
Despite this view, Werner said:
We have very good relations with the government and transport department here. It's a relationship built on open communication, and we resolve any issues that arise as partners. I do not consider the reasons for these relationships (regulatory barriers or concerns related to infrastructure and cost) to be a hindrance to our growth. When I think about the places in the world that are holding us back, this place doesn't even come up on the radar.
David Werner, Delta Air's managing director of government affairs and policy
He praised Transport Minister Barbara Creasey for improving approval timelines for aviation regulations.
“When we had to approve new aircraft, some of the details were cleared up, but for some parts, it was a lengthy process. Historically, it has taken us a long time to get these approvals here. Minister Cressey was cautioned about the slow process, and now we are seeing a tremendous improvement in terms of the speed at which the department is handling that process.”
He also said that BEE policies had “never been an issue” for the airline since it began operations in SA.
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Earlier in June, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ruled that the International Air Services Council cannot impose or enforce broad-based black economic empowerment or other race-based criteria when deciding operating licenses for international airlines.
Still, Matt Long, Delta Air's managing director for Europe and Africa, said the company is committed to policies that advance diversity, equity and inclusion.
He said, “We are committed to diversifying our employment base and customer base. It's a tremendous opportunity when we think beyond the United States. We're also trying to diversify our suppliers and where we want to invest our aircraft.”