Emirates has inaugurated its third daily flight between Dubai and Cape Town, operating the route with its new Airbus A350, while simultaneously reinstating a fourth daily service to Johannesburg — bringing the airline’s total weekly South African services to 56.
A350 MAKES SOUTH AFRICAN DEBUT ON CAPE TOWN ROUTE
Emirates’ third daily service between Dubai and Cape Town, flight EK778, arrived at Cape Town International Airport at 18:05 on 2 July 2026, marking both the inaugural operation of the service and the first appearance of the airline’s Airbus A350 in South Africa. The A350 is the newest aircraft type in Emirates’ all-widebody fleet, introducing the latest cabin design and in-flight technology to the Cape Town route.
Afzal Parambil, Emirates’ Regional Manager for Southern Africa, said Cape Town had long been one of the most popular destinations on the airline’s African network, and that the launch of a third daily service operated with its newest aircraft reflected its confidence in the market. He said the new flight gave travellers more options and easier access to Emirates’ global network through Dubai, and extended thanks to South African authorities for their support in securing the new service.
JOHANNESBURG FOURTH DAILY RESTORED; 56 WEEKLY SERVICES CONFIRMED
Alongside the Cape Town launch, Emirates reinstated its fourth daily flight to Johannesburg on 1 July 2026, increasing weekly services from its three South African gateways to 56 in total. The Johannesburg deployment is further supplemented by the seasonal introduction of a second A380 service on the route, with EK761 and EK762 now operated by a fully retrofitted A380 equipped with a Premium Economy cabin and the latest interior specification. Emirates said the combined capacity deployment supports both passenger traffic and cargo uplift, with Emirates SkyCargo transporting key South African exports including fresh fruit and vegetables, chilled meat, dairy, seafood and fresh-cut flowers through its belly capacity across the 777, A350 and Durban services.
PREMIUM ECONOMY AND WESGRO PARTNERSHIP
The Cape Town A350 deployment increases South African travellers’ access to Emirates’ Premium Economy cabin, which made its South African debut in September 2025 and has proved consistently popular. Emirates and Wesgro, the tourism, trade and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape, signed an agreement in April 2026 to jointly attract visitors from key markets including the Gulf, the Far East and India, and the new frequency adds operational depth to that partnership.
The additional Cape Town and Johannesburg services expand connectivity to long-haul destinations in West Asia, Australasia and the Far East, as well as improving access for inbound tourists to South Africa’s national parks and coastal destinations and enabling same-day business connections through Dubai to European commercial centres.
Source and Images: Emirates
