Emirates scales up South African operations with A350 deployment
Emirates-Representative Image
The airline has also reinstated its fourth daily service to Johannesburg and now operates a schedule of 56 weekly flights between South Africa & Dubai.
Emirates commenced the third daily service on the Dubai-Cape Town route from July 1, 2026. The first arrival of new service landed at Cape Town International Airport, which also marked the debut of the airline’s next-generation Airbus A350 in South Africa.
The A350 is the newest aircraft type to join Emirates’ all widebody fleet, introducing the latest in-flight experience. The deployment also increases access to the airline’s Premium Economy cabin, which first launched in South Africa in September 2025.
Afzal Parambil, Emirates' Regional Manager for Southern Africa, said, “Cape Town has long been one of the most popular destinations on our African network. The launch of a third daily service, operated with our newest aircraft, shows how much we believe in this market. The new flight gives travellers more options and an easier connection to our global network through Dubai, while the A350 offers the latest passenger experience. We’d like to extend our thanks to the South African authorities for their partnership and support in securing this new service and look forward to welcoming passengers onboard.”
The new flight enhances connectivity for South African travellers, offering more choice, flexibility, and improved access to Emirates’ global network, via Dubai, especially long-haul destinations in West Asia, Australasia and the Far East.
The launch of the new service also builds on the agreement signed in April 2026 between Emirates and Wesgro, the tourism, trade, and investment promotion agency for Cape Town and the Western Cape. The two organisations are working together to bring more visitors from key markets such as the Gulf, the Far East, and India.
Outside of Cape Town, Emirates also reinstated its fourth daily flight to Johannesburg on July 1, 2026, boosting weekly connectivity to Dubai to 56 weekly services from its three South African gateways. The deployment is further supported by the seasonal deployment of the second A380 service into Johannesburg. EK761 and EK762 will now be operated by a full retrofitted A380, equipped with the Premium Economy cabin and the latest cabin interiors.
