{"id":848052,"date":"2026-01-16T14:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-16T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=848052"},"modified":"2026-01-16T11:29:23","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T09:29:23","slug":"new-long-haul-international-flight-coming-to-south-africa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/lifestyle\/848052\/new-long-haul-international-flight-coming-to-south-africa\/","title":{"rendered":"New long-haul international flight coming to South Africa"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Air Europa will launch a new flight between Johannesburg, South Africa and Madrid, Spain on 24 June 2026. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The airline said that the flight will connect South Africa’s financial hub to Madrid-Barajas with three weekly frequencies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The new flight forms part of Air Europa’s plan to expand internationally, adding new destinations that grow its customer offerings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flights from OR Tambo Airport will depart every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 03:10 in the morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flights to OR Tambo Airport will depart Madrid every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 15:05. Flights will operate via the airline’s Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air Europa said that the aircraft is one of the most advanced and efficient in its category, which reduces fuel consumption and emissions by up to 25%. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is also designed to make flying a more comfortable experience, with a spacious, soundproofed cabin, 30% larger windows, and an advanced ventilation system that helps reduce fatigue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aircraft also features the airline\u2019s exclusive Business Class, with seats that convert into two-metre-long beds, and an onboard dining offering created by acclaimed chef Mart\u00edn Berasategui.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The airline said the route offers a host of options for European travellers, with Johannesburg as the continent\u2019s central air hub, providing easy access to destinations such as Namibia and Botswana. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to its role as a business centre, Johannesburg is also seen as a key reference point for business travellers, especially in sectors like infrastructure, mining, energy, and financial services.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

South Africa’s vast scenic and natural wealth also continues to attract tourists from around the world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Air Europa will also add new destinations on the African continent in 2026, including flights to Marrakech, Tunis and Tangier. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

New international flights<\/h2>\n\n\n
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This is not the only international flight coming to South Africa, with regional player Airlink looking to expand its network.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The airline plans to add a new route to Nacala, Mozambique, with flights running Mondays to Fridays between Johannesburg and Nacala.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Airlink CEO de Villiers Engelbrecht said the new route will create valuable new travel and trade opportunities by providing improved access to a region seeing increased commercial and tourism activity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The service, which will start in February, will operate using the carrier\u2019s Embraer regional jets, aircraft known for their quietness, efficiency, and suitability for shorter cross-border routes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Airlink is also opening a new leisure-focused link to Zanzibar in June, with the route operated via the airline\u2019s latest fleet addition, the Embraer E195-E2.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This new plane is a next-gen jet that has improved fuel efficiency, lower emissions, and a more comfortable cabin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flights between Europe and South Africa remain in high demand. Case in point is German leisure carrier Condor extending its seasonal Frankfurt\u2013Cape Town flights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These flights were supposed to end in April 2026, but will now run until 22 May 2026. The decision follows heightened demand among travellers. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Travellers are seeking South Africa’s late-autumn sunshine while Europe is still firmly in spring. It is an example of travellers looking beyond the traditional summer peak for holidays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Air Europa Images<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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Air Europa is launching a new flight that connects Johannesburg and Madrid, but local travellers will have to wake up early. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":95,"featured_media":848065,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9876],"tags":[24029],"class_list":["post-848052","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-air-europa"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848052","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/95"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=848052"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848052\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":848077,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/848052\/revisions\/848077"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/848065"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=848052"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=848052"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=848052"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}