There are many ways Delta ensures a safe operation for customers and crew. As safety professionals, flight attendants are trained to provide medical assistance during in-flight medical events.

Every Delta aircraft is equipped with two Enhanced Emergency Medical Kits (EEMK) with life-saving medications, as well as additional equipment including an automated blood pressure cuff, oxygen saturation pulse oximeter, first aid kit, and an automated external defibrillator. 

The flight crew can connect on-demand using high-speed Wi-Fi to emergency medicine physicians on the ground through MedLink by MedAire, a resource that guides crewmembers and medical volunteers to assess customer’s condition and provide care. Delta aircraft are also equipped with the Red Pouch, the suite of additional medical diagnostic equipment, to utilize for the most common medical events. 

On Board

4 things you should know about how Delta responds to in-flight medical emergencies

Delta flight attendants are not only experts in providing elevated service to our customers but are also safety professionals who are trained and equipped with the tools to respond during in-flight medical events.

Delta flight crews are trained to routinely solicit medical volunteer service from passengers onboard who are physicians or other licensed medical professionals to assist during an in-flight medical emergency.

For Ghanaian physician Dr. Enoch Opoku Afriyie, the professionalism of the Delta crew was commendable for their response to a specific medical event that happened on his flight in June 2024.

Dr. Afriyie has 11 years of experience as a medical doctor, and five years as an emergency physician specialist. Currently, Dr. Afriyie is pursuing a second master’s in public health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Dr. Afriyie responded to an emergency call four hours into a Delta flight from the Kotoka International Airport, Accra, Ghana (ACC) to JFK to assist an elderly passenger who experienced a cardiac arrest.

“If the crew were not swift enough in their response, the man’s life would have been cut short,” Dr. Afriyie said. “If an individual has a cardiac arrest, you have to respond within seconds as a physician.”

Dr. Afriyie also appreciated the availability of medical tools, including the blood pressure cuff and an oximeter found in the EEMK.

“I was thoroughly impressed by the flight crew’s response and cooperation,” Dr. Afriyie said. “I’m grateful that Delta had things in place when things like this happen.” 

Dr. Henry Ting, Senior Vice President, Chief Health & Wellness Officer, commended Dr. Afriyie’s effort in providing his medical assistance to an ailing customer. 

“It was fortunate to have you on board with us, and we are thankful for the assistance you provided,” said Dr. Ting. “Medical volunteers like yourself expand our inflight response capabilities and help us in our mission to protect the health and safety of our customers and our crew.”

For Ghanaian passengers desiring home cooking on board the ACC-JFK route, Delta Air Lines provides the comfort of local flavors modified by customer feedback in flight, just in time for holiday travel. 

Local Emphasis

Delta partners with local chefs and catering stations in Ghana to ensure that the food served maintains maximum integrity and authenticity. While the airline strives to satisfy local customers in this context, a conscious mind for passengers with varied palette preferences is also important. 

“We design menus with Ghanian influence and some western touches for our customers,” said Gabriel Palchik -- Regional Manager, On Board Service & Menu Development. “We tend to base our design on passport and customer data.” 

Pouring into the community is vital to showing an authentic representation of where Delta people live, work and serve. That’s why local languages Twi and Ga are also spoken on the JFK-ACC route, ensuring that the service is rooted in the needs and language of the Ghanaian customer.

“We strive to offer thoughtful, elevated food and flight experiences our customers will remember forever,” Palchik said.

The Menu

Delta offers entrees influenced by local preferences and flavors in Main Cabin. Beef, chicken and fish selections are available on direct flights between JFK and Ghana, while chicken and pasta options are available on European routes - operated by AKFL. 

The meal begins with salad, soup, an appetizer and bread. The main course follows, then completed with a sweet after-dinner chaser: a choice of an ice-cream sundae or cheese cubes. 

Coffee and tea service is also included. Alcoholic beverages, including local beers, are also offered to complement the dining experience.

Both Delta One and Premium cabin passengers can select their main entrees prior to the flight. 

While some options may occasionally be unavailable, there are five choices available for Delta One customers this winter and three for customers in Delta Premium Select. 

Delta One

• Roasted chicken thigh – moyo sauce, turmeric infused sweet potato puree, medley of carrots and zucchini.
• Braised beef – domoda sauce, steamed rice, roasted root vegetables.
• Vegetable curry – biryani rice, fried paneer, chickpeas, coriander.
• Grilled grouper – vanilla sauce, turmeric infused sweet potato puree, green beans, roasted carrots.
  • Delta offers another West African dish, Thieboudienne, as part of a sauce accompanying the grilled grouper. The sauce is made with tomato, onions, garlic, ginger, bay leaves and other spices.
• Braised lamb stew – thiou sauce, steamed rice, green beans and carrots.
  • Delta One offers braised beef dish with popular West African tomato-based Domoda sauce, which comes with rice and roasted local vegetables.  An alternative is the grilled grouper fillet with jollof rice, green beans and roasted pumpkin, served with Thieboudienne sauce. 

Ghana Onboard Dining

Braised beef with domoda sauce, steamed rice and roasted root vegetables.

Ghana Onboard Dining

Roasted chicken thigh, complemented with moyo sauce and tumeric-infused sweet potato puree medley.

Ghana Onboard Dining

Vegetable curry complemented with biryani rice, fried paneer, chickpeas and coriander.

Menu changes on Delta are informed by feedback from passengers regarding requests for Ghanaian meals. In the premium cabins, the whole menu changes every six months, with smaller updates every three months. 

Delta Premium Select 

• Roasted chicken thigh – moyo sauce, turmeric infused sweet potato puree, medley of carrots and zucchini.
• Braised beef – domoda sauce, steamed rice, roasted root vegetables.
• Vegetable curry – biryani rice, fried paneer, chickpeas, coriander.

Jollof rice, a staple in Ghana and West Africa, is offered in all cabins (Delta One, Delta Premium Select and Main Cabin), and is seasoned with local spices, tomato and onions. 

In Main Cabin, menus are changed every six months, using feedback on new strategies.  Delta gathers comments from its crew and passengers, in addition to feedback from local sales teams in each region. 

The airline caters for special requests by passengers who prefer a meal that is not currently listed on the standard menu. Passengers with special dietary requests (religious restrictions, vegan, gluten free, etc.) can select their meals prior to their flight. 

“We put a lot of emphasis into designing menus that merge the local flavors of a particular country with the preferences of our passengers and crew,” Palchik said. “It tends to be a mixture of African and Western dishes in order to have our customers experience a pleasant meal that they will remember even after they deplane.”

For JFK-based flight attendant Eric Adu, working with Delta Air Lines for the past 16 years is a lifelong dream come true.

Adu’s fascination began when his sister brought home a flyer from an event in his hometown of Accra that read, “Delta is my airline.” Although Adu didn’t know much about Delta, he felt an immediate connection, placing the flyer in his school trunk and carrying it everywhere he went.

“My classmates would ask me what it was about and why I kept it so dear," he recalled. "I didn’t have an answer, but I told them I loved the name and the logo."

After high school, Mr. Adu moved to the United States and held various jobs until he completed the rigorous flight attendant training program in 2008

"I was thrilled, and within six weeks, I learned so much about the airline,” said Adu, who hopes to remain with Delta until his retirement. “Delta has been incredibly good to me. It’s the best company I’ve worked for since moving to America." 

He loves working the JFK-Accra route not only for regular opportunities to spend quality time with family – but to be the Delta Difference for his fellow Ghanaians.

“I love working the JFK-Accra route because I get to help my people,” Adu said. “When I see older passengers with language barriers, speaking in the local language helps them feel comfortable and welcome. Some even share their concerns with me, and I always go the extra mile to help them."

Breast cancer survivors attend a fundraiser with Delta’s Ralph Albus and Eloina Baddoo, and Dr. Beatrice Wiafe-Addai, President of Breast Care International. 

Children of breast cancer survivors perform a dance. 

Groundbreaking ceremony for the King Osei Tutu II Comprehensive Cancer Centre of Excellence. 

Promoting breast cancer awareness and furthering cancer research is a global initiative for Delta having raised more than $28 million for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Funding more than 80 research projects, Delta stands united with employees, partners, and customers to make a lasting impact. 

Purpose

Support breast cancer research this October

Learn more about how you can support BCRF this October in flight and beyond. 

Severious Kale-Dery is a senior staff writer at Graphic Communications Group. Delta invited Kale-Dery and four other Ghanaian journalists to tour the airline’s headquarters in Atlanta, complete with in-flight amenities and service in the Delta One cabin on their journey – with exclusive VIP Select service. The journalists’ trip was fully paid for by Delta.

When the day came to board my flight at terminal three of Kotoka International Airport in Accra, Ghana, for my flight to New York-JFK, I knew good things awaited me.

When I arrived at Kotoka, two Delta staffers were at the departure hall to welcome me as a Delta One passenger, with one taking my luggage and the other taking my carry-on. Soon after, we followed the normal check-in and security procedures taken by the 130,000 people who Delta transports from Ghana to the U.S. each year.

Afterwards, I was led to the Sanbra Priority Lounge, exclusively for Delta One customers, where I met some other colleagues. 

After enjoying assorted drinks and food, it was time to board. This time, I experienced Delta One – the airline’s take on business class for long-haul international flights with guest-selected meals, mindful flight attendant service and more.

Learn more about Delta One at delta.com.

Although it was my second time in my numerous travels abroad to have a business-class seat, it came with a particularly elevated experience. My previous travels out of Accra were less pleasant than what I experienced on Delta.

The entertainment was superb with the wide selection of music, movies and sports, including broadcasts of my favorite football team (Manchester City of the English Premier League). When I wasn’t sleeping, the spacious fold-out tray inside the armrest made it easy to be productive on my laptop.

The comfortable lie-flat seat, the constant availability of my favorite red wine (Baron Romero) and the courtesy of the smartly dressed, ever- smiling cabin attendants made the lengthy flight both seamless and memorable.

Ten hours later, we landed in New York. I couldn’t help feeling nostalgic since it was my first time being in the U.S. in over 20 years.

Soon, it was time to board the connecting flight to Atlanta. In less than three hours, we made it to the busiest airport in the world - Hartfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

We arrived the next morning at Delta Headquarters at 8:30 am. 

After some security and protocol checks, we were ushered into the Delta Flight Museum. The former airplane hangar was filled with interesting artifacts of the airline’s past. Within the museum, a conference room in the form of a plane was where we began our first day. 

We then were greeted by various officials representing corporate communications and network planning to learn more about Delta’s commitment to maintaining customer satisfaction. 

We were then escorted to the airline’s Operations Control Center (OCC), the heartbeat of the entire operation. OCC Flight Controller Robert Oberstar briefed us about how Delta has its own meteorology team and uses its own high-tech, proprietary software to make decisions about inclement weather, threatening events and more.

Operations

Behind the scenes with a Delta Air Lines meteorologist

Warren Weston, one of Delta’s lead meteorologists, gives an inside look at every role Delta’s in-house meteorology team plays, from updating the Weather Information Tool and helping flight crews avoid turbulence to forecasting the weather both around major airports and up to 40,000 feet.

After some meetings with teams ranging from specialty sales, reservations and customer care and brand experience, we wrapped our briefing day with a hearty meal from South City Kitchen in Midtown Atlanta.

The next day began bright and early at Delta Technical Operations (affectionately called Delta TechOps), the largest airline maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider in North America. Along with providing service for its own fleet, it also high-quality service to more than 150 other commercial and private customers around the world.

However, my favorite experience was flying in the simulator and going down the emergency landing slide at the Pilot Training Center. 

Overall, my experience with Delta was fascinating, warm and elevated. 

Delta Air Lines proudly introduced the Airbus A330-900neo on its daily nonstop service from New York-JFK to Accra, effective October 1, 2024. This next-generation aircraft increases Delta’s seat capacity by approximately 30% between Ghana and the United States, while elevating the customer experience with enhanced comfort.  

At the launch event in Accra, Ralph Albus, Delta’s Director of Global Communications, Commercial said: “Customers will enjoy Delta’s state-of-the-art Airbus A330-900neo, offering the latest in premium travel. The accelerated deployment of this new aircraft reflects the strong demand for our product, and we’re excited to offer passengers a premium onboard experience across the Atlantic with Delta’s renowned service.”

Delta’s Airbus A330-900neo will contribute approximately 1,000 additional seats each week between Ghana and the United States while offering travelers a choice of four distinctive cabin experiences: Delta One Suites, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+, and Main Cabin. Additionally, the aircraft boasts increased cargo capacity to meet rising demand.

Delta One Suites feature fully lie-flat seats, luxury bedding, and privacy doors, paired with chef-curated meals and premium beverages. Delta Premium Select offers enhanced comfort with wider seats and additional legroom, while Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin provide spacious seating, memory-foam cushions, and personalized entertainment with over 1,000 hours of content.

Across all cabins, passengers will enjoy state-of-the-art features including ambient lighting for a restful flight. 

Success in Ghana has been driven by strong partnerships, and Mr. Albus expressed gratitude to Delta’s valued customers, the Ghana Civil Aviation Authority, and the government of Ghana. 

Delta’s launch of the Airbus A330-900neo deepens the connection between Ghana and the United States, delivering additional capacity and world-class service. 

Since beginning her career at Delta Air Lines 17 years ago, Sarah Djabaki Annan, Operations Service Manager (ACC), has retained an enduring appreciation for the U.S.-based airline for many reasons. 

Annan’s introduction to Delta happened while the airline first entered the Ghanaian market in 2006. This provided Annan a unique perspective on the triumphs and challenges Delta faced – all while maintaining a reputation for delivering excellence.

The Accra-based operations manager is proud to be associated with Delta because of its community engagement, particularly its breast cancer awareness and youth development initiatives.

Purpose

Making a difference: Delta supports Walk for a Cure event in Accra, Ghana

Delta has partnered with the BCI since 2016 and has funded vital work to provide breast cancer awareness and screening program in rural areas of Ghana.

“Delta’s Breast Care International (BCI) and Junior Achievement (JA) Africa projects have greatly benefitted women and girls in Ghana,” Annan said. “Also, the youth Innovation Camps offers students experiential learning simulation exercises, helping to solve real-life business situations and preparing them as workforce for the future.”

Annan says she is fascinated by Delta’s constant pursuit of innovation to improve the customer experience.

“Over the years, I have witnessed key changes, including the transition from paper to electronic ticketing and the technological advancement of airports in Ghana and around the world, making the travel experience more seamless.”

Sarah’s current role entails managing people, procedures and processes during all stages of a Delta flight. This includes supervising check-in operations, customer experience and ramp operations. 

Alongside her day-to-day work, Sarah serves in additional roles, including: 

• Learning Records Administrator: Ensures all Delta staff and business partners handling company operations are up to date and in compliance.
• Lead Complaint Resolution Official: Handling issues related to customers with disabilities.

Sarah enjoys traveling, shopping and cooking, and is dedicated to catching up with friends and family over the phone. Her favorite destination is the Bahamas, with Miami, Florida as a close second.

When flying to the U.S., Sarah advises people to always choose Delta because of its top priorities of safety and customers’ needs, offering hospitality from the heart.

As the first U.S. airline to initiate service to Ghana, Delta remains the largest operator in the U.S.-Ghana market, offering year-round daily service from New York-JFK. 

Furthermore, in late October 2024, Delta will upgrade its aircraft serving Ghana to the 281-seat Airbus A330-900neo, adding nearly 1,000 more seats each week, providing 30% more capacity between Ghana and the U.S. The aircraft features four differentiated cabin experiences: Delta One Suites, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin.