O.R. Tambo International getting busier by the day

SAA recently announced the resumption of its transatlantic services to Brazil which comes on the back of several other airlines either resuming flights or expanding fleet services to Johannesburg and Cape Town.

31 October & 6 November 2023

• South African Airways will open its first intercontinental route to Sao Paulo, Brazil, since the airline returned to the skies in September 2021. Bookings opened for sale on 29 June 2023, with launch flights out of Cape Town on Tuesday, 31st October and from Johannesburg on Monday, 6th November 2023. SAA will fly to Guarulhos International Airport in São Paulo four times a week, twice out of Cape Town (Tuesdays and Saturdays) and twice out of Johannesburg (Mondays and Thursdays). During the Northern winter season (October to December), SA 0226 will depart Cape Town at 12h55 and arrive in Sao Paulo at 16h35. The return flight out of Sao Paulo SA 0227, will depart at 18h05 and arrive in Cape Town at 06h40. From Johannesburg, SA 0222 will depart at 11h20 and arrive in Sao Paulo at 16h15 and the return flight SA 0223 will depart Soa Paulo at 17h45 arriving in Johannesburg at 07h45.

1 August 2023

• Cathay Pacific will resume flights between Johannesburg and Hong Kong having suspended activity during the Covid-19 pandemic. Flights will be in and out of Johannesburg on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. They leave Johannesburg late morning and arrive in Hong Kong at 6 am the next day. Return flights leave Hong Kong shortly before midnight and arrive in Johannesburg at 07:35. The route was served by its 747 fleet pre-pandemic and the airline will now use the Airbus A350-900.

30 September 2023

• LATAM’s resumption of flights to O.R. Tambo begin at the end of September offering flights three times a week from São Paulo, Guarulhos International Airport. Flights will resume on LATAM’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

30 October 2023

• SWISS International airlines has announced an expanded European winter schedule with seven flights to Johannesburg. Among the other destinations to get expanded services are Miami, Shanghai, Singapore and Cairo. “We’re very pleased to be further expanding our range of long-haul services this coming winter, within the overall framework of our long-term network planning, to offer our customers an even more attractive choice of flights”, says Chief Commercial Officer Tamur Goudarzi. Johannesburg will be served by the Boeing 777-300ER and it’s unsure whether this will replace the Airbus A380 currently being used.