Qantas announces direct Sydney to Cape Town flights

Travellers looking to fly directly from Sydney to South Africa will soon have a new option as Qantas expands its long haul international network. The airline confirmed plans to launch the first nonstop route connecting Australia directly to Cape Town for local holidaymakers and business travellers.

The seasonal service will operate between Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport and Cape Town International Airport. Flights are scheduled to begin on October 19 and run through March 24, 2028, operating three times per week.

Services will run on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays using Boeing 787-9 aircraft. Airline representatives said the new route will add almost 30,000 seats to the travel market between Australia and South Africa.

The 6,828 mile route will complement existing flights operating from Sydney and Perth to Johannesburg. Additional Boeing 787-9 planes scheduled to arrive in late 2027 will enable the expansion as part of the wider fleet renewal program, providing increased capacity for long distance international travel.

Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said Cape Town is a true bucket list city and Australian demand to visit has never been stronger. He said tens of thousands of customers already use existing Johannesburg services to connect through partner airlines.

Market data shows that approximately 76,600 two way passengers travelled between Australia and Cape Town in 2025. That figure represented a 7.4 percent increase from the previous year, highlighting the growing popularity of the destination.

Sydney and Cape Town traffic totalled about 18,800 passengers over the same period, while broader travel between Australia and Africa grew by eight percent. The seasonal flights begin operating on October 19, 2027.