Press Release
Home > Press Release > PR Newswire
Bob Johnson, Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf and Delta Air Lines Jointly Announce New Flight Service
Font Scale: 
WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 /PRNewswire/ -- Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL), the onlyU.S. carrier to serve Africa, today jointly announce that it will expand itsservice to the continent with the introduction of the first and only flightbetween Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Monrovia'sRoberts International Airport, Liberia*. The service, which will make a stopin Amilcar Cabral International Airport on Sal Island, Cape Verde*, will startin June, 2009.
"Delta is pleased to add Monrovia to our industry-leading Africa network,"said Glen Hauenstein, executive vice president-Network and Revenue Management."Passenger traffic to and from Africa continues to grow at some of the highestrates in the world. We have been very pleased with the response to our flightsAfrica and look forward to serving Liberia and contributing to its trade andtourism development efforts."
Currently, Delta offers service between the United States and six Africandestinations with flights between New York's John F. Kennedy InternationalAirport and Accra, Ghana; Dakar, Senegal, Cairo, Egypt, and Cape Town in SouthAfrica (via Dakar) and between Atlanta and Lagos, Nigeria, and Johannesburg,South Africa (via Dakar).
In an announcement at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.,Liberia's President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf praised Delta's investment in hercountry. "I was excited to learn that Delta Air Lines has made the commitmentto provide direct flight service to Liberia," said President Sirleaf.
"Liberia continues to flourish and with the commitment by companies in theU.S. to do business in our country there is opportunity for continued economicgrowth. This development also provides convenience for Liberians in Diasporato come home and to bring their skills and talents in support of the country'sdevelopment. Delta Air Lines is providing a means to bring business into thecountry and we welcome them," she concluded.
Bob Johnson, founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies, which ownssignificant development projects in Liberia, also commented on the flight andhis investments in Liberia during the press conference. "Two years ago whileattending the Clinton Global Initiative and after hearing President Sirleafappeal to the American private sector for support, I made a commitment tomobilize $30 million for Liberia," said Bob Johnson.
"I have further committed to mobilizing funds through a recent $100million finance protocol with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation(OPIC) to build housing, as well as to build an 84-room villa style hotel, theRLJ Kendja Resort & Villas opening in March 2009. I applaud Delta Air Linesfor making the commitment to provide direct air service to Liberia which willprovide economic growth opportunities to Liberia from a variety of businesssectors around the world," Johnson concluded.
Delta's new service between Atlanta and Monrovia will operate once weeklyusing a Boeing 757 aircraft with up to 174 seats in a two-cabin configuration.Passengers on the only direct flight between the U.S. and Liberia will benefitfrom significant time savings compared to other routes. Moreover, they willalso be able to connect to 150 destinations throughout the U.S., Latin Americaand the Caribbean via Delta's Atlanta hub.
Liberia is situated in West Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean tothe country's southwest. The country has strong historical and cultural tiesto the United States. With key exports of minerals and timber, there is also astrong and growing market for business traffic between Liberia and the U.S.
*Subject to government approval.
About The RLJ Companies
The RLJ Companies, founded by Robert L. Johnson, owner of the NBACharlotte Bobcats and founder of Black Entertainment Television, is a diverseportfolio of companies in the financial services, asset management, realestate, hospitality, professional sports, film production, and gamingindustries. An innovative business network, The RLJ Companies seeks to targetundiscovered or underserved markets; then exercise solid management to achieveresults. The RLJ Companies is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, withoperations in Charlotte, Los Angeles, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
About Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines operates service to more worldwide destinations than anyairline with Delta and Delta Connection flights to 287 destinations in 58countries. Delta has added more international capacity than any major U.S.airline during the last two years and is the leader across the Atlantic withflights to 42 trans-Atlantic markets. To Latin America and the Caribbean,Delta offers 315 weekly flights to 43 destinations. Delta's marketingalliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 16,000flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member ofSkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensiveworldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam andworldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 500 worldwidedestinations in 105 countries. Customers can check in for flights, printboarding passes, check bags and flight status at delta.com.
For additional information contact:
Traci Otey Blunt, The RLJ Companies, 240.744.7858 orpress@rljcompanies.com
Maria Schnabel, Delta Corporate Communications, International,404.715.8119
SOURCE The RLJ Companies
Currently, Delta offers service between the United States and six Africandestinations with flights between New York's John F. Kennedy InternationalAirport and Accra, Ghana; Dakar, Senegal, Cairo, Egypt, and Cape Town in SouthAfrica (via Dakar) and between Atlanta and Lagos, Nigeria, and Johannesburg,South Africa (via Dakar).
In an announcement at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.,Liberia's President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf praised Delta's investment in hercountry. "I was excited to learn that Delta Air Lines has made the commitmentto provide direct flight service to Liberia," said President Sirleaf.
"Liberia continues to flourish and with the commitment by companies in theU.S. to do business in our country there is opportunity for continued economicgrowth. This development also provides convenience for Liberians in Diasporato come home and to bring their skills and talents in support of the country'sdevelopment. Delta Air Lines is providing a means to bring business into thecountry and we welcome them," she concluded.
Bob Johnson, founder and chairman of The RLJ Companies, which ownssignificant development projects in Liberia, also commented on the flight andhis investments in Liberia during the press conference. "Two years ago whileattending the Clinton Global Initiative and after hearing President Sirleafappeal to the American private sector for support, I made a commitment tomobilize $30 million for Liberia," said Bob Johnson.
"I have further committed to mobilizing funds through a recent $100million finance protocol with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation(OPIC) to build housing, as well as to build an 84-room villa style hotel, theRLJ Kendja Resort & Villas opening in March 2009. I applaud Delta Air Linesfor making the commitment to provide direct air service to Liberia which willprovide economic growth opportunities to Liberia from a variety of businesssectors around the world," Johnson concluded.
Delta's new service between Atlanta and Monrovia will operate once weeklyusing a Boeing 757 aircraft with up to 174 seats in a two-cabin configuration.Passengers on the only direct flight between the U.S. and Liberia will benefitfrom significant time savings compared to other routes. Moreover, they willalso be able to connect to 150 destinations throughout the U.S., Latin Americaand the Caribbean via Delta's Atlanta hub.
Liberia is situated in West Africa, bordering the North Atlantic Ocean tothe country's southwest. The country has strong historical and cultural tiesto the United States. With key exports of minerals and timber, there is also astrong and growing market for business traffic between Liberia and the U.S.
*Subject to government approval.
About The RLJ Companies
The RLJ Companies, founded by Robert L. Johnson, owner of the NBACharlotte Bobcats and founder of Black Entertainment Television, is a diverseportfolio of companies in the financial services, asset management, realestate, hospitality, professional sports, film production, and gamingindustries. An innovative business network, The RLJ Companies seeks to targetundiscovered or underserved markets; then exercise solid management to achieveresults. The RLJ Companies is headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, withoperations in Charlotte, Los Angeles, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
About Delta Air Lines
Delta Air Lines operates service to more worldwide destinations than anyairline with Delta and Delta Connection flights to 287 destinations in 58countries. Delta has added more international capacity than any major U.S.airline during the last two years and is the leader across the Atlantic withflights to 42 trans-Atlantic markets. To Latin America and the Caribbean,Delta offers 315 weekly flights to 43 destinations. Delta's marketingalliances also allow customers to earn and redeem SkyMiles on more than 16,000flights offered by SkyTeam and other partners. Delta is a founding member ofSkyTeam, a global airline alliance that provides customers with extensiveworldwide destinations, flights and services. Including its SkyTeam andworldwide codeshare partners, Delta offers flights to 500 worldwidedestinations in 105 countries. Customers can check in for flights, printboarding passes, check bags and flight status at delta.com.
For additional information contact:
Traci Otey Blunt, The RLJ Companies, 240.744.7858 orpress@rljcompanies.com
Maria Schnabel, Delta Corporate Communications, International,404.715.8119
SOURCE The RLJ Companies
For more iinformation, go to www.prnewswire.com
- Sponsored By
-
Recent Press Release
Advertisement
POS Magnetic Card Readers
Online distributor for point of sale equipment, TYSSO and Pegasus.
