Building on a year of unwaveringly high demand, Emirates has announced a third daily flight on the Dubai-Cape Town route, from 1st July 2026. Operated with a Boeing 777, the new service boosts seat capacity by a further 600+ seats in and out of South Africa’s most visited city every day.
In the last year, Emirates’ double daily schedule to Cape Town has been operating at a very high seat factor, especially during peak periods. Inbound traffic from the GCC, in particular the UAE, is on the rise, while outbound traffic remains strong to Europe and the East Coast of the US. The third flight supports Cape Town’s bold tourism goal to supercharge the sector and increase international arrivals to 2.6 million by 2029.
EK778 will depart Dubai at 10:25 hrs, arriving at Cape Town International Airport at 18:05 hrs; the return flight, EK779, will depart Cape Town at 20:00 hrs and arrive in Dubai at 07:25 hrs the following morning. The evening departure adds an overnight travel option and is strategically timed for optimal connectivity with key long-haul destinations popular with South African travellers such as Thailand, Indonesia, France, Switzerland, and key points in East Asia such as the Philippines and China to name just a few. Beyond leisure travel, the new frequency creates new opportunities for corporate travellers to reach key markets in Asia, creating mutually beneficial business opportunities.
Afzal Parambil, Emirates’ Regional Manager for Southern Africa said, “Since our first flight in 1995, South Africa has been a cornerstone of our African network. We have been steadily and consistently scaling our operations, creating vital links that connect communities and commerce, with a reliable and trusted schedule, service and product. Adding the third daily flight to Cape Town is an extension of that promise, and an example of how we will continue to evolve with South African travellers, and the industry. We’d like to extend our thanks to the South African authorities for their partnership and support in securing this new frequency, which will attract even more long-haul tourists to Cape Town and significantly contribute to the region’s burgeoning economy.”
Commenting on the additional service, Alan Winde, Premier of the Western Cape said, “The Western Cape Government welcomes this positive move. The more direct flights to our province and Cape Town mean a further boost to our economy. Our province’s tourism sector is bristling with jobs, and by opening up our skies to more flights, we can grow our economy and create even more jobs. I want to thank Emirates for its continued vote of confidence in our region. I look forward to growing this partnership to new heights.”
2025 marks Emirates’ 30th year of operations to South Africa, since its inaugural flight to Johannesburg in 1995. Throughout the year, the airline has consistently demonstrated its steadfast commitment to the market through significant investment in operations that focused on enhancing the traveller experience. Emirates ramped up flights to and from Johannesburg, with a fourth daily flight that added a morning departure, to create new opportunities to travel.
During the 2025 Dubai Airshow, Emirates and South African Airways enhanced their longstanding relationship, working towards a reciprocal codeshare agreement, ahead of the busy peak travel season. Offering single ticket fare and hassle-free baggage handling, Emirates customers will be able to enjoy seamless access to three domestic points in South Africa – Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth – and a further six regional points in Africa including Kinshasa, Windhoek, Lusaka, Harare, Victoria Falls and South African Airways’ newest destination, Gaborone – all via Johannesburg.
This builds on the existing codeshare partnership, that provides South African Airways customers with access to Dubai on Emirates’ soon-to-be 56 weekly flights from three gateways, as well as a further 68 global destinations available on an interline basis. Since January, 45,000 passengers have taken advantage of this partnership.
Emirates also deployed its first retrofitted Boeing 777 in Africa to South Africa, bringing its latest signature product and experience to Cape Town and Johannesburg. Elevating the passenger experience with the latest signature interiors and upgraded cabins, the retrofitted Boeing 777 introduced Premium Economy, the highly lauded cabin that’s been likened to business class on many other airlines.
For more information or to book tickets, visit emirates.com, the Emirates App, Emirates contact centre, or via travel agents.
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