Skip to main content

Delta Air Lines · DL · SkyTeam · Accra ⇄ New York JFK · Accra ⇄ Atlanta (seasonal)

Delta from Accra: New York, America and the journey home

Every morning a Delta Airbus leaves Accra for New York, and every evening another one leaves New York for Accra. It is one of the busiest family routes between Africa and America. Ghanaians fly it to reach relatives in the Bronx, New Jersey, Washington and Atlanta, and African Americans fly it to come home to the coast their ancestors were taken from. Here is what flies, when, and the honest truth about the US visa.

Delta Air Lines in brief

Delta started in 1925 as a crop-dusting company in the cotton fields of the American South and carried its first passengers in 1929. Today it is one of the largest airlines in the world, based in Atlanta. Delta has linked Accra and New York for close to twenty years, and in 2024 it moved the route to its newest widebody, the Airbus A330-900neo. It is also a founding member of the SkyTeam alliance, with KLM, Air France and Kenya Airways.

Key facts

  • Codes: IATA DL, ICAO DAL.
  • Founded: 1925; passenger flights from 1929.
  • Hubs: Atlanta (ATL), the world's busiest airport, plus New York JFK, Detroit, Minneapolis and others.
  • Alliance: SkyTeam, with KLM, Air France, Kenya Airways and Middle East Airlines.
  • Aircraft on the Accra route: Airbus A330-900neo, with Delta One suites, Premium Select, Comfort+ and Main Cabin.
  • Codeshares: Virgin Atlantic, KLM and Air France sell the Accra flights under their own numbers.
  • Frequent flyer programme: SkyMiles.
  • In Accra: Terminal 3, Accra International Airport.
  • Flight time: about 10 hours 20 minutes New York–Accra; about 10 hours 35 minutes Accra–New York.
  • Website: delta.com

Flights from and to Accra: the real timetable

Delta flies New York JFK–Accra every day. New York is five hours behind Ghana in winter and four hours behind in American summer time.

New York JFK (daily)

FlightRouteTimes (local)Notes
DL157Accra → New York JFK09:30 → about 15:30–16:05Daytime flight, landing in the New York afternoon.
DL156New York JFK → Accraabout 16:40–17:05 → about 06:30–07:00 next dayOvernight, arriving in Accra at breakfast time.

Atlanta (seasonal)

For the 2025/26 peak season Delta added a seasonal nonstop between Accra and its home hub, Atlanta, also on the A330-900neo. Check delta.com to see whether it runs again for December 2026 and the 2027 season.

Read this before booking

These times come from flight logs for July to October 2026; the exact minute shifts slightly from season to season. The flight is usually punctual and often lands early. Always confirm on delta.com. For Washington, United also flies direct from Accra.

Accra arrivals today US flights from Accra

Ghana and New York right now

Local time in both cities, the weather at this moment, and a converter between cedis, US dollars and the main currencies.

American English for Ghanaian ears

  • "How are you doing?": a greeting, not a real question. Answer "Good, thanks, and you?"
  • The check: the bill in a restaurant.
  • The restroom: the toilet. Asking for the "toilet" works but sounds blunt.
  • Tipping: expected, not optional. 18 to 20 per cent in restaurants, a dollar or two per drink at a bar, 15 to 20 per cent for taxis.
  • The elevator, the sidewalk, the subway: lift, pavement, underground railway.
  • Sales tax is added at the till, so the price on the shelf is not what you pay.

The USA: what is waiting at the other end

More than 200,000 people of Ghanaian birth or descent live in the United States, with large communities in New York, New Jersey, the Washington area, Atlanta, Columbus and Houston. Many African Americans trace their roots to the Gold Coast, and the bond between Ghana and Black America runs from Nkrumah's student years in Pennsylvania to W. E. B. Du Bois's last home in Accra and the Year of Return in 2019.

The United States in brief

  • Capital: Washington, D.C.
  • Independence: 4 July 1776, from Britain.
  • Currency: US dollar (USD).
  • Language: English; Spanish is widely spoken.
  • Time in New York: UTC−5 in winter, UTC−4 in summer.
  • Entry for Ghanaians: a B1/B2 visitor visa is required. Apply online (DS-160), pay the fee (USD 185 in 2026) and attend an interview at the US Embassy in Accra. Ghana is not in the Visa Waiver Program, so there is no ESTA.
  • Visa validity: B1/B2 visas for Ghanaians can again be issued for up to five years, multiple entry.
  • The 2026 pauses: the visa pauses in the news in 2026 concerned immigrant visas, and courts ended them in August. Visitor visas continued.
  • Entry for UK and most EU passports: ESTA online before travel.

The main attractions, with an African and Ghanaian eye

Guided tours across the USA: New York, Washington, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Orlando and New Orleans, with local guides. Entrance fees are included in the tour price; tips are not included but always welcome, and in America a tip for the guide is expected.

New York flight page Washington flight page US flights from Accra

Where Delta takes you next

From New York JFK and Atlanta, Delta reaches almost every city in North America, the Caribbean and Latin America. These are the onward routes Ghanaian travellers use most, with their capitals.

Honest tips for this route

  • The visa interview is short. Answer honestly and briefly, and make sure everything matches your DS-160 form. Refusals under section 214(b) mean the officer was not convinced you will return. Strong ties to Ghana, such as work, family and property, matter more than a thick file.
  • Do not pay "visa agents". No one can guarantee a US visa. Apply only through the official US visa portal for Ghana.
  • JFK arrival. Immigration queues at JFK Terminal 4 can be long in the afternoon. Keep your address in the US, return ticket and visa documents in your hand luggage.
  • Connecting in New York. You clear immigration and customs at your first US airport and re-check your bags. Allow at least three hours.
  • Baggage on the way back. The Accra-bound flight is famously full of heavy suitcases. Check Delta's weight limits and excess charges before you shop.
  • Cash and cards. US cards and contactless payments work everywhere. Ghanaian cards may be blocked for international use, so tell your bank before you fly.

Coming the other way: coming home to Ghana

Delta lands in Accra at breakfast time, after an overnight flight. For many African American passengers this is the journey of a lifetime. US citizens need a visa for Ghana, applied for in advance. The places below are where the diaspora story is told honestly: the castles and dungeons, the slave river at Assin Manso, Nkrumah's memorial, the returnees of Jamestown, and the last home of W. E. B. Du Bois.

Ghana's slave history, without the marketing December in Ghana

Airport pickup with free internet, ideal after an overnight flight, private vehicle hire and a three-destination tour, booked before you land. Entrance fees are included in the tour price; tips are not included but always welcome.

Read and listen across Africa

Before you fly, tune in to the country you are going to. Live radio from all over the continent, in one place.

All African Radio Stations

All airlines at Accra International Airport

Every airline flying from Accra, each with its own timetable, routes and destination guide.

Bridge cities across Africa

Landed in Accra and travelling on within Africa? These city pages show the regional flights from Accra, much quicker than any detour.

Airlines overview Accra arrivals today Airports of Ghana Embassies in Accra Flight news

Search the whole network

Search our Network. Start here.

Part of the Ghana-Net network

GhanaFlights.info belongs to an independent network of more than 70 African travel, heritage and information websites, online since December 2000. No Google advertising, no sponsored praise: just the routes and the countries, as they are.

Ghana-Net.com · Cape Coast Castle Museum · ElminaCastle.info · Du Bois Centre · Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park · James Fort and Jamestown · Cape Coast War Cemetery · MyGhana2027.com · GhanaTrails.com · GhanaMuseums.com · AfricanIndependence.com

Updated and fact-checked: 29 October 2026. Timetables from flight logs for July to October 2026; US visa information checked against official announcements up to October 2026. Always confirm times with the airline and visa rules at travel.state.gov before booking. Text and research by Remo Kurka for GhanaFlights.info. This website carries no Google advertising.