After a successful rollout of its second daily A380 flight on the Dubai-Johannesburg route in September, Emirates is raising the stakes again. Starting on 1 March, the airline will add a fourth daily flight between Johannesburg and Dubai, bringing more convenience and options for South African travellers heading to the UAE and beyond.
The new service will operate on a three-class Boeing 777-300ER, adding an impressive 354 seats to the route. This expansion marks a return to Emirates’ pre-pandemic flight capacity to South Africa, with 49 weekly flights now connecting Dubai with Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town. Emirates Deputy President and COO Adnan Kazim highlighted the airline’s commitment to the region, stating that this increase in flights reflects growing demand and the importance of the South African market to Emirates’ global network.
The schedule for the new flight is designed for convenience:
- Outbound: Departing Johannesburg at 10:15 and landing in Dubai at 20:15.
- Return: Leaving Dubai at 00:10 and arriving in Johannesburg at 06:20.
This new service joins the line-up of existing daily flights, adding flexibility for business travellers, tourists, and connecting passengers.
Meanwhile, Qatar Airways Takes South Africa’s Summer to New Heights
Not to be outdone, Qatar Airways is bringing an impressive capacity boost to South Africa for the summer season. Cape Town will see an increase to 11 weekly flights (and a jump to 12 during peak holiday dates from 17 December to 13 January), while Johannesburg flights will increase to 18 per week from 27 October. Durban will continue to enjoy five weekly services via Mozambique.
Qatar Airways is also pushing the envelope on in-flight connectivity. On 22 October, it operated the world’s first Starlink-equipped Boeing 777 flight from Doha to London, ushering in a new era of high-speed, low-latency internet for passengers. As the first airline in the MENA region to offer Starlink’s ultra-fast Wi-Fi service, Qatar Airways provides gate-to-gate connectivity free for all passengers. By the end of 2024, the airline aims to have 12 Starlink-equipped Boeing 777-300s in the air, with plans to upgrade its entire 777 fleet by 2025 and bring the technology to its Airbus A350s by summer 2025.
With both Emirates and Qatar Airways ramping up their operations in South Africa, travellers have more options and better services than ever. From additional flight choices to cutting-edge in-flight internet, the future of flying in and out of South Africa just got a whole lot brighter.
Main Image: Emirates