Great news for South African passport holders
South African passport holders will have more options for travelling abroad as several airlines launch new international routes or expand existing services.
The new launches improve South Africa’s air connectivity with Europe, Latin America, and parts of Africa.
The latest addition is a new direct service between Johannesburg and Madrid. On 25 June, O.R. Tambo International Airport welcomed the inaugural Air Europa flight from the Spanish capital, marking the airline’s first route into sub-Saharan Africa.
The service will operate three times a week, creating a direct link between South Africa and Spain and providing easier access to destinations across Europe and Latin America through Madrid.
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille welcomed the launch and described it as another step forward in expanding South Africa’s international aviation network.
“The launch of the route comes as the government continues to implement the Cabinet-endorsed Tourism Route Development Marketing Plan,” said De Lille.
She added that this plan seeks to expand direct air access to South Africa through coordinated route development, strategic destination marketing, and collaboration with provincial partners.
She added that the new route is a strong vote of confidence in South Africa’s tourism industry and broader economic prospects.
Regional carrier Airlink is also expanding its network with new international destinations. The airline plans to introduce weekday flights between Johannesburg and Nacala in northern Mozambique from February.
Airlink CEO de Villiers Engelbrecht said the route will improve access to an area experiencing growing commercial and tourism activity.
“The new route will create valuable new travel and trade opportunities by providing improved access to a region seeing increased commercial and tourism activity,” Engelbrecht said.
The airline also plans to launch a new leisure route between Johannesburg and Zanzibar in June. The service will be operated using Airlink’s recently acquired Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, which offers improved fuel efficiency, lower emissions and a more modern passenger cabin.
Long-haul travel between South Africa and Europe is also receiving a significant boost as airlines respond to continued demand.
More new routes and extended services
German leisure airline Condor has extended its seasonal Frankfurt-to-Cape Town service, while the Lufthansa Group has announced its largest-ever South African winter schedule for the 2026/27 season.
From the end of October 2026, Lufthansa will operate 38 weekly long-haul flights between South Africa and Europe, including three additional services.
One of the biggest changes will be an increase in flights between Johannesburg and Munich. The airline will expand the route from three flights a week to five, with services operating every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.
Lufthansa will also convert the Munich-Johannesburg service into an overnight schedule in both directions from 27 October 2026.
The airline said the timing will allow travellers to arrive in Europe early in the morning, making it easier to connect to destinations across its wider network.
Cape Town will also benefit from an expanded schedule. Lufthansa will add a Monday nonstop service between Frankfurt and Cape Town during the peak winter season.
Passengers travelling on the route will have access to Lufthansa’s latest Allegris cabin product, available across Business Class, Premium Economy and Economy.
Swiss International Air Lines, another Lufthansa Group airline, will also introduce its new Airbus A350 on the daily Zurich-to-Johannesburg route.
Additionally, Edelweiss, also part of the Lufthansa Group, will continue operating up to five weekly nonstop flights between Cape Town and Zurich using the Airbus A350.
Lufthansa Group Airlines’ René Koinzack explained that the increased investment in South Africa is due to continued growth in international travel demand.
“South Africa is one of Lufthansa Group’s most important long-haul markets in Africa, and our Winter 2026/27 schedule reflects that confidence,” he said.
The expansion follows South Africa’s record 10.5 million international arrivals in 2025, with airlines increasing capacity to meet growing demand while giving South African passport holders more direct options for travelling overseas.
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