LATAM Airlines and Emirates are expanding direct air service to South Africa in 2026, with Emirates launching a third daily Airbus A350 flight between Dubai and Cape Town on July 1 and LATAM preparing the first-ever direct connection between São Paulo and Cape Town in September. The expansions arrive as South Africa’s international airport arrivals reached 989,329 in April 2026 alone, a 19.5% increase over the same month in 2025, and as the country recorded a record 10.48 million international arrivals for the full year 2025.
Key Takeaways
- Emirates launched its third daily flight between Dubai and Cape Town on July 1, 2026, using an Airbus A350 equipped with Premium Economy. The airline now operates 56 weekly flights between South Africa and Dubai across three gateways.
- LATAM Airlines will launch three weekly Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner flights between São Paulo Guarulhos and Cape Town in September 2026, marking the first direct passenger service between South America and South Africa’s Western Cape.
- South Africa’s airports recorded 989,329 international arrivals in April 2026, up 19.5% year over year, according to government data.
- South Africa posted a record 10.48 million international arrivals in 2025, surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
- Additional route expansions include Air Europa’s new Johannesburg–Madrid service launched June 24 and Lufthansa’s five-weekly Frankfurt–Cape Town schedule for summer 2026.
What Is Emirates Adding to Its South Africa Network?
Emirates launched flight EK778, a third daily service between Dubai and Cape Town, on July 1, 2026. The flight departs Dubai at 10:25 and arrives in Cape Town at 18:05, with the return service EK779 departing Cape Town at 20:00. The aircraft is an Airbus A350 equipped with Emirates’ Premium Economy cabin, a product the airline has been expanding across more than 84 routes by mid-2026.
The third daily flight adds more than 600 seats per day on the Dubai–Cape Town route and builds on a memorandum of understanding Emirates signed with Wesgro, the Western Cape’s tourism, trade, and investment promotion agency, in April 2026 to stimulate inbound tourism from key source markets including the Gulf Cooperation Council states, India, the Far East, and Australasia. Emirates also reinstated its fourth daily Johannesburg–Dubai flight on July 1, deploying a retrofitted A380 with updated cabin interiors and Premium Economy on selected services.
Across both cities and its Durban gateway, Emirates now operates 56 weekly flights between South Africa and Dubai. Since the start of 2026, more than 45,000 passengers have used the Emirates–South African Airways codeshare partnership, which was formalized at the 2025 Dubai Airshow and provides single-ticket itineraries connecting SAA’s domestic and regional network to Emirates’ global hub.
Why Is the LATAM São Paulo–Cape Town Route Significant?
LATAM Airlines’ planned three-weekly service between São Paulo Guarulhos and Cape Town, launching in September 2026 on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft, will be the first direct passenger link between a South American airline and South Africa’s Western Cape. The route gives Cape Town a second direct connection to the Americas, complementing United Airlines’ existing Newark service.
| Route | Airline | Launch Date | Frequency | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dubai–Cape Town (3rd daily) | Emirates | July 1, 2026 | Daily (3x) | Airbus A350 |
| São Paulo–Cape Town | LATAM Airlines | September 2026 | 3x weekly | Boeing 787-9 |
| Johannesburg–Madrid | Air Europa | June 24, 2026 | 3x weekly | — |
| Frankfurt–Cape Town | Lufthansa | Summer 2026 | 5x weekly | — |
| Dubai–Johannesburg (4th daily) | Emirates | July 1, 2026 | Daily (4x) | A380 (retrofitted) |
The route fills a gap in South America–Africa connectivity that has persisted for years despite cultural and economic ties between Brazil and South Africa. Cape Town tourism officials described the connection as a significant development for inbound tourism, cargo trade, and investment from South America. LATAM’s 787-9 deployment on the route aligns with a broader network strategy that projects 8.5–9.5% capacity growth across 2025–2026, supported by LATAM’s Q3 2025 results, which reported an 18.1% operating margin and $3.9 billion in revenue.
What Is Driving the Growth in South Africa’s International Arrivals?
South Africa’s April 2026 arrival figure of 989,329 international travelers — nearly one million in a single month — reflects a market that has moved past pandemic recovery into genuine expansion. The country recorded 10.48 million international arrivals for full-year 2025, exceeding pre-pandemic levels and generating an estimated R25.9 billion in international visitor spending in the Western Cape alone.
Tourism contributes nearly 9% of South Africa’s GDP, and government data estimates that every 13 international arrivals create one job. The arrival growth is broad-based across source markets, with notable increases from Singapore (+70.5% year over year in April), strong long-haul demand from Europe and the Americas, and continued short-haul volume from the African continent, which remains the largest single source of arrivals.
The airline capacity additions from Emirates, LATAM, Air Europa, and Lufthansa are both a response to that demand and a catalyst for further growth. Each new direct route reduces connection times and opens source markets that previously required one or two stops to reach South Africa, converting potential travelers into actual arrivals.
South Africa’s international air connectivity is expanding across multiple continents simultaneously, with Emirates and LATAM anchoring the most significant capacity additions in a year that has already produced record-setting arrival volumes.
FAQs
When did Emirates launch its third daily Cape Town flight? Emirates launched the third daily Dubai–Cape Town service on July 1, 2026, using an Airbus A350 with Premium Economy. The airline now operates 56 weekly flights between South Africa and Dubai.
When does the LATAM São Paulo–Cape Town route start? LATAM Airlines plans to launch three weekly flights between São Paulo Guarulhos and Cape Town in September 2026 using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. It will be the first direct link between South America and South Africa’s Western Cape.
How many international arrivals did South Africa record in 2025? South Africa recorded a record 10.48 million international arrivals in 2025, exceeding pre-pandemic levels.
What other airlines are expanding South Africa service in 2026? Air Europa launched a Johannesburg–Madrid route on June 24, Lufthansa operates Frankfurt–Cape Town five times weekly for summer 2026, and South African Airways introduced a new Johannesburg–George domestic service in April 2026.
How does Emirates connect South Africa to global destinations? Emirates routes through its Dubai hub, offering South African travelers single-ticket connections to cities across Europe, Asia, North America, and the Middle East through a codeshare partnership with South African Airways.
How important is tourism to South Africa’s economy? Tourism contributes nearly 9% of South Africa’s GDP, and government estimates indicate that every 13 international arrivals create one job. The Western Cape alone recorded approximately R25.9 billion in international visitor spending in 2025.
