Just in: United Airlines to fly year round to Cape Town

United Airlines will begin its thee-times a week route from 5 June. Photo: Southern California Aviation Fan / flickr

United Airlines will now offer three non-stop, year-round flights per week between Cape Town International Airport and New York/Newark.

Starting 5 June 2022, just in time for the US summer holidays, the increased flight routes will be a definite positive for South African tourism, assisting in boosting numbers of inbound US tourists year-round. Besides this, it will also bring a great deal of convenience for the business community in Cape Town, making it more easy to access New York and United’s domestic network in the US year-round.

According to TravelNews, United Airlines is currently the only airline to offer non-stop flights between Cape Town and the US. The Cape Town route opens up the many possibilities for Capetonians to tap into the airlines’ wide network of US cities including Chicago, Washington DC Houston and Los Angeles.

United Airlines new schedule

The new schedule starts from 5 June departing New York/Newark to Cape Town and from 7 June departing Cape Town to New York/Newark.

Bob Schumacher, United Regional Director Sales said:

“By introducing more flights from Cape Town to our New York/Newark hub in 2022, we are offering our customers in South Africa greater choice with this direct flight to the US,”

United Airlines first launched this popular flagship route in December 2019. Schumacher also said that the expansion of United’s Cape Town to New York service will enable renewed and expanded economic opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic.

James Vos, member of the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee for Economic Growth, quoted to Travel News:

“United Airlines’ earlier-than-expected return signals that there is great demand from American tourists to visit Cape Town. The direct route holds great opportunities for the Mother City, with up to 24 000 potential inbound passengers from New York and numerous more travel and trade possibilities that will be of significant benefit to our economy.”

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Sundeeka Mungroo

Sundeeka Mungroo is a content writer, foodie and all-round adventure-seeker. She's a graduate of the University of South Africa with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature, and has worked as a copywriter and editor in the digital marketing industry. Sundeeka currently writes for I Love South Africa and The South African. She lives in the beautiful Mother City and loves exploring all that South Africa has to offer.