Hi, my Name is Viki and I’ve been working at Delta in Accra for five years this month! My career at Delta all started because of a chance encounter with two Delta managers that knocked at the door of my Accra airport office wanting help sourcing phone cards. Shortly after, I found myself at an interview in London being offered the job of station manager for Delta’s operations in Accra, and I’ve been here ever since!

It was an exciting time from the get go. There was always so much to do, from finding offices and filing slots to preparing for the first flight. Even though this was my third start up for an airline, somehow with Delta it felt different, more special and exciting.

And so arrived the time for the inaugural flight. The arrival of Delta on our soil in Ghana five years ago has been the most memorable moment in my working life to date. On that day, all my months of hard work came to fruition and was recognized with a big celebration with many dignitaries in attendance. It signified the start of a huge growth in aviation in Africa, and Ghana in particular. Back then, we started with flights to New York (JFK), but today we have expanded and now fly to 3 more cities – Atlanta, Monrovia and recently Abuja, Nigeria.

There is a real buzz when working for Delta because there’s always something going on. In  Ghana with the new passenger gates, new lie-flat beds and an increasing route network, there’s never a dull moment! All of these aspects are providing a real boost for the region and the airline itself.

Even though there has been a lot of change over the years, I still have my original team from the beginning as well as two more additions from Dakar and Atlanta. We have created a wonderful and award winning team due to our hard work in safety and baggage.

Thanks Delta, let’s celebrate 5 years of success!

Viki Vaughan-Williams

Station Manager, Accra

Iceland has always been a special place for me. Not only is it the place of my birth, 54 years ago, but it’s where I discovered my true love – flying – and began my first flight lessons in a Cessna 150 in the late 1970s.

John Magnusson, Captain, Delta Air Lines

While my father’s service in the U.S. Navy took us to New Jersey when I was three years old, we continued to spend summers in Iceland, and I remember frequent trips from New York-JFK to Keflavík International Airport near Reykjavik. All of my ancestors came from Iceland, and Icelandic was spoken in our home (I’m as comfortable with that language as I am with English). My mother made sure that our home in New Jersey always had an open door for visitors from Iceland.

Even as I became a pilot for Northwest and, today, fly proudly for Delta, I’ve maintained my connection with Iceland, and today act as Iceland’s Honorary Consul for the upper Midwest.

That’s why it’s such an honor to be participating in Delta’s inaugural service to Iceland. I’ll be Captain of the Boeing 757-200 that will soar from JFK to Keflavik when we launch the first flight on June 1. Delta will be the first U.S. carrier in 40 years to fly nonstop between the two countries, putting us in a unique position to share the beauty of Iceland with our customers in the U.S. For me, it means continuing my family’s tradition of bridging two great countries. If you haven’t experienced the beauty of Iceland, I hope you can join us this summer and see for yourself why it’s such a special place.

John Magnusson

Captain

Delta Air Lines

Seven decades ago this year, a tiny airline moved its headquarters from Monroe, La. to the growing city of Atlanta. Now, Delta is among the world’s largest airlines, and Atlanta has grown into an international city and a global gateway.

Today we hosted an event with more than 2,000 of our employees and closest friends to commemorate this special milestone. One of the highlights was this video featuring three Delta heroes who embody the “Spirit of Atlanta.”

This video is special to us because it reminds us of the huge impact Delta employees have had on our hometown over the last 70 years.  Stay tuned for more celebrations throughout the year!

Kent L.
Director, External Communications