Delta Is Adding a Flight to Nigeria From New York City — What to Know

The flight will operate daily during holiday travel season.

By Michael Cappetta Michael Cappetta

Michael Cappetta is a travel writer with over 10 years of experience in journalism and television news. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on November 1, 2024

Close The commercial capital of Africa, Ikoyi Lagos, Nigeria. Photo:

talpa1/Getty Images

Traveling between Africa and the United States just got easier.

Delta Air Lines recently announced the seasonal expansion of a nonstop flight between New York’s John F. Kennedy Airport and Lagos, Nigeria’s Murtala Muhammed International Airport. The flight will operate daily as the second daily nonstop flight in Delta’s route network.The airline currently operates service from its main hub in Atlanta, GA. 

The 10-hour and 2-minute flight departs New York at 3:33 p.m., and arrives at 7:35 a.m. the next day. The return flight from Nigeria to New York is 12 hours and departs at 9:35 a.m. and arrives in New York at 3:35 p.m.  The flight operates on an Airbus A330-200 which features four different levels of service: Delta One, Premium Select, Comfort Plus, and Main Cabin.

“With a focus on catering to holiday travelers, this new service promises to enhance travel options for Nigerians living in key metropolitan areas such as Chicago, Maryland, Virginia, Washington, and New York,” Delta shares about the new service in a release. 

In preparation for the new service, Delta advises passengers departing from Nigeria to arrive at least three hours in advance of the scheduled departure times due to security and check-in procedures. 

Nigeria’s tourism minister recently revealed that the country had over 1.2 million tourists in 2023, which is a 20 percent increase over the previous year, according to a local news report. 

While this route is only temporary for December and January to accommodate holiday passengers, Delta has been on the move with an expanding route network throughout 2025. For example, the airline recently shared it would operate its “largest-ever” summer schedule with 700 weekly flights, with new service to Catania, Sicily; as well as more flights to Barcelona, Dublin, and Rome. The airline is also expanding domestically with new routes from Austin, TX to Panama City, FL, Memphis, and Indianapolis.