British Airways (BA) plans to expand its flight services between London Heathrow (LHR) and Cape Town International Airport (CPT) during South Africa’s upcoming summer season, as announced by Cape Town Air Access, a Wesgro-led initiative focused on air route development.
Beginning in late October, BA will introduce an extra daily flight to its existing schedule on this route. According to Travel News, this enhancement will extend into 2025, with the frequency ramping up to three daily flights from January 10, 2025. By then, BA will operate a total of 21 flights per week between London Heathrow and Cape Town.
This increase in flights from Heathrow will replace the airline’s seasonal service from London Gatwick (LGW) to Cape Town, which will run only from December 13, 2024, until January 8, 2025.
The decision to boost flight offerings is driven by rising passenger demand. In the first six months of 2024, more than 210 000 passengers traveled between the UK and Cape Town, reflecting a 7% growth compared to the same period in 2023. This highlights the UK’s continued significance for tourism and trade in Cape Town and the broader Western Cape region.
Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro and representative for Cape Town Air Access, expressed excitement about the expanded services, stating, ‘The United Kingdom remains a crucial market for Cape Town and the Western Cape, and we are excited to further enhance our connectivity with the addition of these new daily flights from London Heathrow.’
ALSO READ: Tips and tricks to get over jet lag
