New long-haul international flights landing in South Africa
Turkish Airlines will increase the number of flights between South Africa and Türkiye, joining a host of new international flights in South Africa.
The airline will start operating 20 weekly flights between the countries, with flights departing from and arriving in Cape Town and Johannesburg.
The airline will soon operate 10 weekly direct flights between Istanbul and Johannesburg and 10 weekly direct flights between Istanbul and Cape Town, starting in October 2026.
This will expand the airline’s current operations, which currently include seven weekly flights to both Cape Town and Johannesburg.
The additional flights will come just ahead of South Africa’s summer tourism season, following the work between the South African government and the airline.
“It is another vote of confidence in our tourism sector and aligns with our efforts to improve air access through the Tourism Growth Partnership Plan,” said Tourism Minister Patricia De Lille.
“More flights mean more visitors, more trade, more investment, and ultimately, more jobs.”
De Lille’s department said the increased frequency is supported by strong market performance, with arrivals from Türkiye up 92% in May 2026 compared to May 2025.
South Africa’s tourism sector continues to build strong momentum following a record 10.5 million international arrivals in 2025.
To stimulate demand for the route, South African Tourism and Turkish Airlines have also agreed to implement a joint destination marketing campaign to promote travel between the two countries.
A host of new flights coming to South Africa
The announcement follows a series of positive developments in South Africa’s international air connectivity, including several new international routes.
This includes Spanish carrier Air Europa launching its first direct service between Madrid and Johannesburg.
Having launched in June, the service is operating three times a week, creating a direct link between South Africa and Spain and providing easier access to destinations across Europe.
Brazil’s LATAM Airlines has also launched three weekly direct flights between São Paulo and Cape Town. This competes with SAA’s route between Johannesburg and the Brazilian city.
German giant Lufthansa also 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.
The Department of Tourism noted that these developments will reinforce the implementation of the Cabinet-approved Tourism Route Development Marketing Plan.
This plan is to expand direct connectivity, strengthen strategic airline partnerships, and unlock new tourism and investment opportunities for South Africa.
Between January and May 2026, South Africa welcomed 4.8 million international visitors, representing a 12.8% year-on-year increase.
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