Julian Anugom, born and raised in Owerri, Imo State, Nigeria, has taken an innovative role in the aviation industry. As the Director of the In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity (IFEC) Platform at Delta Air Lines, Anugom's journey is an inspiring tale of passion, innovation and dedication.

Before joining Delta, Anugom co-founded Connected Assurance, a consulting company, with two partners. Their expertise in connectivity solutions led them to do consultation work for the airline for about three months. 

"One thing I observed during that period was how much Delta cares for its people and customers. It cannot be overstated how much Delta cares," Anugom shared.

He was equally impressed by Delta's customer-centric approach through their initiatives like fast, free Wi-Fi presented by T-Mobile and the airline’s commitment to innovation. 

SkyMiles

Delta introduces fast, free onboard Wi-Fi

Delta became the first major U.S. airline to introduce fast, free Wi-Fi for all, in partnership with T-Mobile. The experience is available on most domestic mainline aircraft as of Feb. 1, with full availability on international and regional aircraft by the end of 2024.

"Coming from the vendor side, before joining Delta, I would work with other airlines and would always hear the line, 'My aircraft is not a test bed.' However, Delta actually loaned our team one of their Bombardier CRJ200 to test satellite internet connectivity back in 2021."

As the Director of IFEC Platforms, Anugom leads the development and enhancement of Delta's in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems while solving complex problems. His team has achieved remarkable milestones, including the development and launch of Delta Sync Wi-Fi and Delta Sync seatback. 

Delta Sync is Delta’s personalization brand, powering the future of travel through SkyMiles® Membership. It currently encompasses two industry-leading entertainment products that have been rolling out as part of the Wi-Fi experience onboard. Delta Sync Wi-Fi is available on nearly 700 aircraft and brings streaming-quality connectivity to the sky on personal devices. Delta Sync seatback is available on more than 300 aircraft and elevates Delta’s industry-leading seatback screens to make them feel more like smart TVs. 

Anugom’s team is continuing to develop new systems to equip Delta’s entire global fleet with free and reliable connectivity soon.

Book your next getaway on delta.com.

Delta is reinforcing its No. 1 position as the largest U.S. carrier to Africa this winter by relaunching daily* service to Lagos, Nigeria (LOS), from New York-JFK on Dec. 1. Fleet enhancements in service to Accra, Ghana (ACC), and South Africa are also underway. 

The airline carries more than half a million customers between the U.S. and Africa each year on more than 34 weekly flights. 

“These enhancements reflect our dedication to meeting the evolving needs of our customers,” said Joe Esposito, Delta’s Senior Vice President of Network Planning. “We’re expanding our options for customers to experience the premium service and elevated hospitality they expect from Delta.” 
 
Delta currently operates daily service between Atlanta and Lagos and, with the resumption of daily New York-JFK service, will offer a total of 14 weekly flights to Nigeria in December through the first half of January and 10 weekly flights for the remainder of winter 2024. 

Customers on this flight will have a choice of Delta One, Delta Premium Select, Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin experiences on the Airbus A330-200. Once on board, customers in Delta One can look forward to an extensive food and beverage program that includes thoughtfully curated menu options, as well as specialty snacks and premium beer, wine and spirits. Customers flying in Delta Premium Select will have more space to relax and stretch out, with a wider seat, deeper recline, an adjustable footrest and leg rest. 

All customers can enjoy a wide selection of in-flight entertainment options – movies, TV series, music, podcasts and more – via Delta Studio. Delta also partners with diverse suppliers worldwide for in-flight products such as artisan-crafted amenity kits and beverages like Thrive Farmers Tea.

Premium upgrades in service to Ghana and South Africa 

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.

Delta One Suites feature a sliding door for enhanced privacy, memory-foam mattress and soft bedding made from recycled materials. Delta One customers can also enjoy more beverage options and a seasonal chef-curated four-course meal.   
 
Delta is also upgrading its aircraft from Atlanta to South Africa, where it operates 10 weekly flights year-round to Johannesburg (JNB) and Cape Town (CPT). With the introduction of the higher-premium 35H Airbus A350-900, this upgrade will provide an additional eight Delta One Suite seats, bringing the total to 40, along with improved operational performance. Customers can look forward to these changes for JNB effective Jun. 20 and CPT on Sept. 9.
 
For more information and to book travel, visit delta.com. 

*This route will initially fly daily, shifting to three times per week on Jan. 16, 2025. 

Delta Air Lines and Junior Achievement Africa have renewed their partnership to advance business and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education among young people across the continent.

JA Africa is one of Africa’s largest and most impactful youth-serving NGOs delivering hands-on, immersive learning in work, financial health, entrepreneurship, sustainability, STEM, economics, citizenship, ethics and more.

As part of its partnership with JA Africa, the airline will present the Delta Social Impact Award at JA Africa’s flagship Company of the Year Competition Dec. 7-9 in Lagos, Nigeria. The event is the culmination of a year’s work for the young participants from Eswatini, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe who have created and run their own businesses over the past academic year as part of the JA Company Program.

“As the next generation of business leaders – and global travelers – we work with Junior Achievement across the globe to facilitate education programs for young people,” said Nicolas Ferri, Delta’s V.P. – Europe, Middle East, Africa and India. “We have seen the positive impact of this work here in Africa and look forward to continuing our partnership as we support the next generation to meet their full educational potential and move into meaningful employment.”

Over the next 12 months, Delta will also sponsor JA Africa’s STEM innovation camps for 50 school children each in Accra, Ghana, and Dakar, Senegal – two of the cities from where the airline flies nonstop to the United States. The one-day camps encourage creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and problem solving as young people must put forward solutions to solve a specific business challenge. Colleagues from Delta will be on-hand to support JA Africa’s team and provide coaching and mentoring to the students throughout the day.

"We are honored to have Delta Air Lines as a long-standing partner. Their sponsorship for JA Africa's 2022 Company of the Year Competition, through the Social Impact Award, will encourage our young entrepreneurs to use innovative approaches to solving societal issues," said Simi Nwogugu, CEO of JA Africa. "This grant will also support Innovation Camps in Ghana and Senegal which provides a forum for our students to work in groups to address real-life business challenges. These programs give our students the exposure and skilling they need to thrive in the 21st century workforce."

Junior Achievement Africa, part of JA Worldwide, is one of Africa’s largest organizations working on youth economic empowerment. Delta supports 32 JA chapters across five continents to teach students about financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. JA Africa has a presence in 13 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa and collectively reaches more than 300,000 young people and more than 3000 schools every year. JA works in Côte d’Ivoire, Eswatini, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia and Zimbabwe with a goal to secure better lives for the young, their families, and their communities.

Delta has been flying to Africa for nearly 16 years, longer than any other U.S. airline, and currently offers nonstop service to the U.S. from four African countries – Ghana, Senegal, Nigeria and South Africa. It will begin flying from Cape Town in December.