A United 787-9 in Los Angeles (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)
On November 17 United inaugurated its non-stop services between Washington (IAD) and Cape Town (CPT). This new operation becomes the carrier’s third route between the United States and South Africa.
Flight UA 2222, operated by a Boeing 787 Dreamliner registered as N24979, took off from Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) at 19:19 local time and landed at Cape Town Airport (CPT) at 15:31 the following day, after 13 hours and 32 minutes.
United is the only carrier to offer non-stop flights between the U.S. capital and South Africa. Passengers originating from Cape Town will have the option to connect through more than 60 of the carrier’s Americas destinations via its second major transatlantic hub at Washington – Dulles (IAD).
“As a country, we thank our United Airlines partners for their continued support and welcome this direct flight. We invite U.S. travelers to visit Cape Town and then explore other parts of South Africa, as we have so much to offer in our nine provinces,” said Nomasonto Ndlovu, chief operating officer of South African Tourism.
United’s new transatlantic service in South Africa will complement its operations from Newark (EWR) to Johannesburg (EWR) and Cape Town (CPT), the latter of which was upgraded from a seasonal service to year-round operation. According to Cirium, the Chicago-based carrier will have 6,682 weekly seats on offer between the U.S. and South Africa in December. United will be the largest operator in this segment in terms of seats per seat kilometers offered (ASK) with a market share of 52%.
Washington – Cape Town Flight UA 2222 IAD 18:40 – CPT 16:10+1 Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
Cape Town – Washington Flight UA 2223 CPT 20:50 – IAD 05:50+1 Monday, Thursday and Saturday.
The route will be operated on Boeing 787-9 aircraft with a capacity of 257 passengers in four classes (48 United Polaris/21 Premium Plus/39 Economy Plus/149 Economy), plus service will be available year-round.
“The United States is a key source market for tourism, trade and investment for the province. We look forward to an excellent summer season ahead and would like to thank United Airlines for their continued commitment to our destination,” said Wrenelle Stander, Wesgro’s executive director and official spokesperson for Cape Town Air Access.
Cape Town (CPT) will complement United’s operations to Accra (ACC) and Lagos (LOS) from the U.S. capital. According to Cirium data, the carrier will offer 6,402 seats between Washington – Dulles (IAD) and Africa.
This article was originally published by Rainer Nieves Dolande on Aviacionline in syndication with AirlineGeeks.
Receive a daily dose of the airline industry's top stories along with market insights right in your inbox.
Royal Air Maroc and Safran have deepened their collaboration in aircraft engine maintenance. In celebration of its 25th anniversary, Safran…
The importance of the North American market to Fiji Airways has been further highlighted with the announcement of an interline…
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has announced that it will be increasing the required time off between shifts for air…
