London-based Virgin Atlantic will expand capacity on its South Africa routes for winter 2026/2027.
Virgin Atlantic expands capacity on South Africa routes
Virgin Atlantic is set to operate 10 weekly flights between London (Heathrow) and Johannesburg from October 2026 through to March 2027.
The route will be served with an Airbus A350-1000 aircraft for the winter season, offering improved cargo capacity and enhanced scheduling for passenger convenience.
“From October 2026 through March 2027, we will operate up to 10 flights per week between London Heathrow and Johannesburg, alongside 11 weekly services into Cape Town. Our existing daily Johannesburg service will also operate daily on an A350-1000 for the winter season.” The airline says.
Adding flights to Cape Town
In addition, the airline will also commence its seasonal service to Cape Town on October 15. This will run until April 20, 2027. However, Virgin will be serving the route eleven times a week.
The city has become a beacon for international tourists and is seeing an increasing number of airlines flying there.
Virgin Atlantic’s schedule is designed for optimized connectivity with onward connections to North America and Europe via Heathrow.
Direct services between UK and SA
Virgin’s expanded flight schedule will benefit travellers in South Africa and the United Kingdom.
The airline launched flights to Johannesburg in 1996 and has fast become a preferred carrier for travellers between the two countries.
South Africa is a popular long-haul destination for British holidaymakers. The United Kingdom is also home to a large number of South African expats.
Both Virgin Atlantic and British Airways offer direct year-round services between the United Kingdom and South Africa.
Norse Atlantic also operates direct services between the UK and South Africa on a seasonal basis. It flies between London Gatwick and Cape Town during the European winter.
South Africa’s national carrier no longer offers scheduled services to the UK. Since exiting a business rescue process in 2021 South African Airways has not returned to the UK.
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