FlySafair launching new international flight next month

Low-cost airline FlySafair has a new flight between Cape Town and Windhoek, Namibia.

The flights will be the airline’s first regional route out of Cape Town, with flights starting on 22 October 2024.

FlySafair will offer a new international flight in October, joining a host of other airlines expanding their presence in South Africa.

”We have been wanting to break into the Windhoek market for a while, but the barrier, until now, has been aircraft availability,” said Kirby Gordon, the Chief Marketing Officer at FlySafair.

“Having an additional aircraft that we are basing in Cape Town is now enabling us to expand into the market with a competitive fare.”

He said that the route has only about 83% recovered compared to pre-COVID numbers, meaning there is more scope to increase travel to the destinations.

Tickets for the route will start at R1,800. The new route will run twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The airline also said the new route is an opportune moment ahead of the summer holidays.

”It will offer South Africans another option for their travel: visiting family and friends. There is some good business travel on the route as well,” said Gordon.

The Cape Town to Windhoek route also responds to travellers keen to venture further afield into Africa and explore what the country’s neighbours offer.

”The new route will additionally cater to overseas travellers who are using Cape Town as a jumping
off point to other African destinations,” he added.

FlySafair added that it makes a lot of sense to make travel to Namibia easier. The country is a highly attractive tourist destination for natural attractions like the Namib Desert, the Fish River Canyon, the Skeleton Coast, and the Etosha National Park.

The new route will run twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

The group previously added direct flights from Cape Town and Johannesburg to the Kruger National Park.

International flight push

Several other airlines have also helped expand the number of international flights in South Africa.

German Airline Lufthansa is launching a year-round direct flight between Johannesburg and Munich today, 3 September.

The group will also offer seasonal flights between Cape Town and Munich, which will be available in November.

Low-cost Norwegian airline Norse Atlantic Airways will also launch a new route in late October connecting London Gatwick Airport with Cape Town International Airport.

“By breaking the duopoly (Virgin Atlantic and British Airways) on this route, we are not only expanding travel options for consumers but also driving down costs and putting the customer back in the pilot’s seat,” said Bjorn Tore Larsen, CEO of Norse Atlantic Airways.

South African Airways (SAA) has also started operating flights between Johannesburg and Perth, with the first flights taking off in April.

The state-owned company also plans to open routes to Frankfurt, Munich, London, and cities on the east coast of the US. However, these new flights will only be considered in the year ending March 2028.

Moreover, Qatar Airways recently acquired a 25% stake in South African regional carrier Airlink as part of the former’s ambitions to expand its operations across Africa.

Read: New airport for Cape Town to offer local and international flights