Delta Air Lines triangular route approval a big win for the Western Cape

19 April 2022

We welcome the news that Delta Air Lines’ application to fly a triangular route between Atlanta, Johannesburg and Cape Town has finally been approved by national government, following extensive correspondence, and an intergovernmental dispute process, relating to how foreign operator permit applications are processed, which was initiated by the Western Cape Government.

We remain committed to working with national government to find solutions to the challenges we face but the intergovernmental dispute process is ongoing so that we: 

- ensure that all foreign operator permit applications are processed in accordance with existing national policy, legislation and agreements; and

- ensure that all foreign operator permit applications are processed by the responsible person, which in this case is the Chairperson of the International Air Services Council, with administrative support from the National Department of Transport.

We regard the approval of Delta Air Lines’ application to fly a triangular route between Atlanta, Johannesburg and Cape Town as a big win and we will continue to work hard to expand “air access” because more flights means more tourists and more tourists means more jobs in the Western Cape.

We remain committed to increasing investment, expanding trade and scaling up tourism with the United States, and so we look forward to finally welcoming Delta Air Lines to the Western Cape.

Issued by Georgina Maree, Spokesperson for the Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities (Responsible for the Provincial Treasury and the Department of Economic Development and Tourism), 19 April 2022