Cathay Pacific Adds Second South African Destination

Starting November 2018, Cathay Pacific will launch seasonal non-stop service to Cape Town, South Africa (CPT) from Hong Kong. The new flight will be flown by Cathay Pacific’s new Airbus A350-1000 three times a week, and will be the first non-stop flight between Cape Town and Asia in over six years.

This service will complement Cathay Pacific’s non-stop Johannesburg service, which has already been flown on a daily basis.

The new route will further bring tourism and investment from Asia to South Africa. Cathay Pacific CEO Rupert Hogg said growing the airline’s reach to destinations that are not otherwise served from Hong Kong creates considerable new opportunities for business, trade and tourism, in addition to strengthening its home hub.

At the present moment, few Asian airlines fly to South Africa. Besides Cathay Pacific, only Singapore Airlines and Air China fly non-stop between the two regions. Flag carrier, South African Airways, also flies non-stop between Johannesburg and Hong Kong.

Despite China’s “one route, one Chinese airline” policy, it appears that only Air China has taken advantage in this arena, flying to Johannesburg from Beijing.

Although Cape Town is now serviced by two airlines flying to Asia, Cathay Pacific is the first to fly non-stop. The Singapore Airlines service makes a stop in Johannesburg before continuing on to Cape Town. Singapore Airlines also uses its A350 on this service.

Cathay Pacific’s A350 features business class, premium economy, and economy cabins. The Cape Town route will be Cathay Pacific’s second scheduled Airbus A350-1000 route, after Washington Dulles.

• Author
• Recent Posts

Albert Kuan

Most people hate long flights or overnight layovers, but Albert loves them. The airport and flying parts of traveling are the biggest highlights of any trip for him – as this avgeek always gets a thrill from sampling different airline cabin products and checking out regional developments happening at local U.S. airports. He’s flown on almost every major carrier in the U.S. and Asia Pacific, and he hopes to try out the new A350s soon.

Albert recently completed his undergraduate studies in Business Accounting at USC in Los Angeles and he is currently recruiting for a corporate analyst position at one of the U.S. legacy carriers. During his college years, he interned at LAX for Los Angeles World Airports working behind-the-scenes (and on the ramp) in public relations and accounting. Outside of writing for AirlineGeeks, he enjoys trekking the Hollywood hills, visiting new hotspots throughout SoCal, and doing the occasional weekender on Spirit Airlines.

Latest posts by Albert Kuan (see all)

• Tijuana International Airport Unveils New Transit Facility for Prospective Long-Haul Flights - May 18, 2022
• Monterrey Airport Seeks to Become Mexico’s Next International Hub - April 27, 2022
• Aeromexico Announces Third Destination From Mexico City‘s New Airport, Reverses Initial Decision - April 6, 2022