Flying Back To South Africa: Major airlines including Cathay & Ethiopian to increase service
Three major airlines want to increase their frequencies between their hubs and South Africa’s major airports. According to the notices published in the Government Gazette, Cathay Pacific, TAAG Angola Airlines, and Ethiopian Airlines could boost the number of weekly flights to and from Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban.
South African aviation has seen tremendous post-pandemic recovery, with several airlines reinstating their daily flights. However, regarding increased frequencies and according to News24 Business, aviation experts believe it is still early, and not all airlines may be granted rights to fly on all requested routes.
Cathay Pacific
Cathay Pacific is set to reinstate its service to South Africa after discontinuing flights at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. From August 2, 2023, the airline will resume its service between Hong Kong International (HKG) and Johannesburg OR Tambo (JNB), with three non-stop weekly flights.
The carrier will deploy its Airbus A350-900 on the route, offering customers a superior flight experience. The service will provide travelers from Southern Africa with direct access to Hong Kong and options for further connections on the airline’s Asian network, including destinations in the Chinese mainland, Indonesia, and Thailand, to mention a few.
The airline has applied to increase its service between Hong Kong and South Africa to 11 weekly flights, with a daily service to JNB. In addition to the JNB service, it is looking to launch three weekly flights to Cape Town on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and one weekly flight to Durban on Saturdays.
Although the gazetting process is primarily for public engagement before awarding the licenses, Cathay Pacific told News24 Business that they had received permission to operate flights to Cape Town and Durban, as stated in the Government Gazette.
TAAG Angola Airlines
TAAG is looking to enhance its service between Angola and South Africa to 23 flights per week. It currently operates daily flights from Luanda Quatro de Fevereiro (LAD) to Johannesburg and Cape Town.
In addition to this service, it could boost the Johannesburg service to 13 weekly flights and launch three weekly flights between Luanda and Durban King Shaka International (DUR). This would see the carrier connect South Africa’s Golden Triangle and become the only airline operating flights between Angola and these three destinations.
With major route and fleet development plans, TAAG is eyeing significant growth in the next five years. As part of the company’s growth plan, it formalized the order for nine aircraft during the 2023 edition of the Paris Air Show. TAAG now has an order of 15 Airbus A220 aircraft through lease agreements with various international partners.
Ethiopian Airlines
Africa’s leading carrier is also eyeing increased flights between Ethiopia and South Africa. This includes up to 35 weekly flights from Addis Ababa Bole International (ADD), with 14 operating directly to Cape Town.
The carrier currently operates Airbus A350 and Boeing 787 Dreamliner flights between ADD and JNB up to 21 times a week. It offers passengers three daily flights, with morning, afternoon, and late-night options.
Several airlines flying into South Africa operate flights to Johannesburg. However, Cape Town is seeing an increase in demand because of the Cape Town Air Access project by Wesgro. Since 2015, the city has welcomed six new African airlines and continues expanding its network. If these airlines receive permission to increase their frequency, CPT will see more enhanced passenger activity.
