Air Europa to Introduce South Africa Service

Flights will start in June.

Lorne Philipot

Thursday, January 08, 2026 at 04:09 PM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

An Air Europa 787-8 in Madrid. (Photo: AirlineGeeks | William Derrickson)

Key Takeaways:

Air Europa will launch its first scheduled service to Southern Africa with a new Madrid-Johannesburg route.
Flights will commence on June 24, operating three times weekly using a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
This route was previously operated by Iberia but was suspended in 2019 due to low profitability.

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Air Europa will launch scheduled flights between Madrid and Johannesburg this year.

The connection will be the carrier’s first to Southern Africa.

Flights will operate three times weekly starting June 24. Air Europa will operate the route with a Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Flights will depart Madrid on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, arriving in Johannesburg the following morning. The return flights will depart Johannesburg on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

Taking Over From Iberia

Air Europa’s service will not be the first linking Spain and South Africa. Spain’s national carrier, Iberia, previously operated the Madrid-Johannesburg route but suspended it in 2019, citing low profitability.

Lorne Philipot

Lorne is a South Africa-based aviation journalist. He was captivated and fascinated by flying from the day he took his first airline flight. With a passion for aviation in his blood, he has flown to destinations in all corners of the globe. Lorne has traveled extensively and lived in various countries. Drawing on his travels and passion for aviation, Lorne enjoys writing about airlines, routes, networks, and new developments.