Motoring

New international flight coming to Cape Town

Jonathan Hoyle

 ·31 Aug 2026

Air France has announced that it will resume its direct flights between Cape Town and Paris for the 2026 summer season.

The flights will start on 22 September 2026 and continue until 27 March 2027, with frequency increasing as the season progresses.

Between September and October, flights will run three times per week between Cape Town International Airport and Paris-Charles de Gaulle.

The flights will then increase their frequency from the start of November until 27 March 2027, with five per week.

These flights will depart Cape Town at approximately 08h30 every morning and arrive at Paris-Charles de Gaulle at 19h20.

The flights between the two continents will be operated by Air France’s Airbus A350-900, one of its flagship long-haul aircraft.

This flight route was previously operated and has been reintroduced as Air France seeks to strengthen its long-haul network and respond to growing demand from both countries.

Air France country manager in South Africa, Wilson Tauro, said, “We are incredibly excited to bring our popular seasonal Cape Town–Paris service back for the 2026/27 summer season.”

“Cape Town and Paris are two destinations with an incredibly strong connection, whether through tourism, business, culture or the many South Africans who travel to France each year.”

“Increasing the service to five flights a week for the majority of the season gives our customers even greater flexibility when planning their European travels.”

Tauro also noted that the new flight route would help connect South Africa to the broader European region, through its hub in Paris.

“The route is also an important part of our commitment to connecting South Africa with the world through our Paris hub,” he said.

The schedules for the new flights will be:

22 September – 31 October 2026

1 November 2026 – 27 March 2027