Emirates to introduce another flight along JHB-Dubai route

Emirates to launch fourth daily flight to JHB

Following the successful launch of the second daily A380 flight between Dubai and Johannesburg in September, Emirates has announced the start date for a fourth daily flight along the route.

According to Travel News, the fourth daily service will begin on 1 March and will add 354 more seats flying out from Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, on a three-class Boeing 777-300ER.

Emirates Deputy President and COO, Adnan Kazim, said that the airline had now reintroduced the capacity it offered to South Africa pre-pandemic, with 49 weekly flights across three gateways, Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town.

The fourth daily flight will kick off on the following schedule:

• The departing flight will leave Johannesburg at 10:15 and arrive in Dubai at 20:15
• The return flight will then depart Dubai at 00:10 and arrive in Johannesburg at 06:20

Qatar Airways’ South Africa summer capacity

In other Middle Eastern airline news, Qatar Airways recently revealed a jam-packed SA summer capacity, which will help unlock tourism potential in the country.

According to the airline, Cape Town will operate 11 weekly flights, rising to 12 between 17 December and 13 January.

Johannesburg services will be 18 per week from 27 October for the season, while Durban will also be served five times a week via Mozambique.

The airline also took the future of in-flight connectivity to greater heights by operating the world’s first Starlink-equipped Boeing 777 aircraft from Doha to London on 22 October 2024.

Qatar Airways is the largest and first carrier in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region to offer passengers Starlink ultra-high-speed, low-latency internet. Starlink is also free to all passengers and operates from gate to gate.

The national carrier for the State of Qatar is also set to exceed its initial target of three Starlink-equipped aircraft, delivering 12 Boeing 777-300s upgraded with this innovative service by the end of 2024, and a further commitment to introduce the technology to its entire Boeing 777 fleet in 2025 – one year ahead of schedule – with the Airbus A350 fleet following in the summer of 2025.