New overseas flights coming to South Africa
Air France has extended its seasonal route between Cape Town and Paris until May 2026 due to extensive demand for the service.
The airline announced the extension of its seasonal route between Cape Town and France from the end of March 2026 to 3 May 2026.
The airline said the direct route has proven immensely popular among South African travellers heading to the French capital, while international visitors flock to the Mother City.
The extension comes as Cape Town remains one of South Africa’s most popular destinations, especially during the northern hemisphere’s winter months.
International travellers escape colder climates for Cape Town’s sunshine, beaches and cultural vibrancy.
On the other hand, South Africans can benefit from Air France’s global network, which offers direct access to Paris and easy travel to destinations across Europe and beyond.
The flight will operate daily, with AF0871 departing Cape Town each morning at 08:50, arriving in Paris at 19:20.
The return service, AF0890, departs Paris at 18:30, touching down in Cape Town at 06:45 the following day.
The new flight is powered by the Airbus A350, with the airline stating that passengers can expect French elegance, comfort, and world-class service.
Champagne is served in each cabin, while France’s culinary heritage inspires the in-flight dining.
“Cape Town remains one of the most inspiring destinations in our network, and we are thrilled to see such strong demand for our seasonal Paris–Cape Town route,” said Wilson Tauro, Country Manager Southern Africa at Air France–KLM.
“This extension not only reflects the continued appetite for travel between Cape Town and Europe but also reinforces Air France’s commitment to connecting South Africans to the world with style, comfort, and efficiency.”
“We are thrilled to offer our customers a longer window to experience this highly seasonal popular route.”
The airline said that the extension of the route aligns with its ongoing investment in the South African market and reaffirms its confidence in the nation’s tourism recovery.
New flights
Air France’s extension joins a growing list of new flight announcements for South African travellers.
Australian-based Qantas announced it would launch a new route between Johannesburg and Perth, with direct flights taking off in December 2025.
Qantas said that the new flights will provide South Africans access to Perth and easy connections to Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide via the carrier’s Australian network. The airline already offers direct flights to Sydney.
Looking across the continent, South African Airways (SAA) announced a new daily service that connects Johannesburg and Gaborone, Botswana via a one-hour flight.
The Johannesburg-Gaborone service will commence on Tuesday, 4 November 2025, and will join SAA’s new route between Cape Town and Mauritius.
The new twice-daily service will commence on Tuesday, 4 November 2025, with bookings for the route now open.
When it comes to domestic flights, Flysafair also recently launched a new route connecting Cape Town and Hoedspruit, Limpopo.
The Cape Town-Hoedspruit route operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, with the first flight taking off last week.
FlySafair said the flight will enhance access to the central Kruger region and the wider Limpopo province and complement the existing route to Mbombela, Mpumalanga.
FlySafair also expanded access between Johannesburg’s Lanseria airport and the Eastern Cape via two new routes to East London and Gqeberha.
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