Delta airlines on Thursday started two weekly flights between Abuja and New York, the first direct flights between Nigeria's capital and the United States.
U.S. airlines, suffering under a weakening domestic economy, have increasingly been turning to international routes which can often be more profitable.
"Delta Air Lines is delighted to expand our presence in the Nigerian market to serve two cities and further strengthen business and tourism between Nigeria and the United States," Bobby Bryan, Delta's commercial manager, said in Abuja.
The world's biggest airline, which also flies between Nigeria's commercial center Lagos and the United States, said it would expand its Abuja-New York service to three flights per week from July 1.
The new route, via Senegal's capital Dakar, costs around $649 per passenger on economy class and $2,738 for business.
