Airbus A330-900neo made a maiden landing at the Kotoka International Airport from a non-stop flight from JFK New York.

The arrival of the aircraft came earlier than Delta announced in April 2024 that the deployment would take place on October 27, 2024.

With a seating capacity of 281, the A330-900neo effectively replaces the Boeing B767, which was rumoured mainly on social media platforms suggesting that the aircraft serving African routes, particularly Ghana, were obsolete or unsuitable for travel.

It offers approximately 30 per cent more capacity and comes with four distinctive experiences - Delta One Suites, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin – as well as more cargo capacity to cater for growing demand.”

The Delta One Suites features fully lie-flat seats, luxury bedding, and privacy doors, paired with chef-curated meals and premium beverages, while the Delta Premium Select offers enhanced comfort with wider seats and additional legroom.

For the Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin, they provide spacious seating, memory-foam cushions, and personalized entertainment with over 1,000 hours of content.

Passengers in all cabins will enjoy state-of-the-art features including ambient lighting for a restful flight and access to Wi-Fi for purchase. 

Addressing journalists at the Kempiski Hotel in Accra shortly after the maiden landing at the Kotoka International Airport, the Director of Global Communications for Delta Air Lines (EMEAI), Ralph Albus took journalists through some video presentations on the performance of the airline and detail information about the Airbus A330-900neo.

He assured customers of Delta’s best-in-class service and a uniquely premium onboard and enhanced travel experience.

Mr Albus said the new aircraft came with 17 extra seats in the Main Cabin, 35 in the Delta Comfort+, 10 in the Delta Premium Select and four extra seats in the Delta Suites.

He announced that as part of giving customers a real experience, effective 2025, the company would rollout free WIFI services on board of the flight for Ghana, Nigeria and Senegal.

Asked of the prospects of the airline on the Africa routes, he was optimistic that the prospects were bright, adding “the prospects for the Ghanaian market are very good and we are confident that we can sell these additional seats and also benefit from the economic relationship between the United States and Ghana as well as improve commerce.”

On safety and security, Mr Albus said it was the company’s number one priority giving the assurance that the aircraft was one of fleets ordered 10 years ago from leading aircraft manufactures.

“For us, it is safety first always,” he said, giving the assurance that the vast majority of the pilots and captains actually were from the US Air force, who had flown under severe conditions and after servicing their country, were now flying in civil aviation space.