Five international airlines will take to the skies with new flight routes in South Africa, effective before the end of 2022.
With South Africa’s domestic airline industry under immense pressure, international airlines are taking advantage of a boom in demand by launching at least FIVE new flight paths that will come into effect before the end of 2022.
As reported by The South African website, South Africa’s four remaining domestic airlines are likely to remain under pressure for the next four to five months.
That’s according to FlySafair CEO Elmar Conradie who heads up one of the remaining quartet of airlines still in operation post-Covid.
Of South Africa’s eight domestic airlines that were in operation pre-Covid-19, only four remain: FlySafair, Lift, CemAir and Airlink.
The four other airlines – SA Express, Kulula, British Airways and Mango – have all been grounded or liquidated.
International airlines have also struggled, but according to BusinessTech, some international carriers are finding opportunities in Mzansi.
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FIVE NEW FLIGHT ROUTES
Air Belgium – Cape Town / Joburg to Brussels – September 2022
Flights aboard Air Belgium’s modern A330neo will depart Brussels every Wednesday and Sunday at 19:45 – arriving in Johannesburg at 07:15 the next day, with a continuation to Cape Town.
South Africans heading to Europe will be able to fly from Cape Town International (with a short stop in Johannesburg) or OR Tambo every Monday and Thursday.
Fares start at R11 569 for an all-in return ticket between Johannesburg and Brussels, and passengers are allowed a 30kg baggage allowance for free.
Qantas – Perth to Johannesburg – 1 November 2022
From 1 November, Qantas will operate the only direct service from Perth to South Africa, operating three return flights per week on its Airbus A330 aircraft.
The new flights will cut more than six hours from the fastest current travel time, with customers heading to Johannesburg from Perth currently having to fly on Qantas via Sydney, or via the Middle East.
United – Cape Town to Washington DC – 18 November 2022
United Airlines will fly a direct, non-stop service between Washington Dulles Airport and Cape Town International Airport.
Flights will operate three times a week, with the first take-off on 18 November.
One-way flights are from R10 679, with a round trip priced from R14 789.
Air Mauritius – Cape Town to Mauritius (overnight) – 16 November 2022
Air Mauritius is set to resume non-stop flights from Cape Town to Mauritius from 16 November this year.
The airline said it will offer two weekly flights leaving at night (22:05) from Cape Town and arriving in the early morning in Mauritius (05:10).
Air Mauritius currently offers flights from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo with a one-way economy class ticket costing around R5 500.
Delta – Cape Town to Atlanta, USA – 17 December 2022
Delta airlines announced a new nonstop route from Hartsfield–Jackson International Airport to Cape Town International Airport.
The new route between Atlanta and Cape Town will be available from 17 December.
By: Garrin Lambley