South African Airways (SAA) is set to reintroduce long-haul flights for the first time in over three years, establishing a new route linking Cape Town and São Paulo. Additionally, the airline will resume services between Johannesburg and the Brazilian city.

Starting on Oct. 31, flights from Cape Town International Airport (CPT) to Sao Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport (GRU) will operate twice a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays. The Johannesburg O.R. Tambo International Airport route will also have two round trips per week on Mondays and Thursdays, beginning on Nov. 6.

These services mark SAA's return to intercontinental flying following a business restructure. The airline, once the largest in Africa, had faced persistent financial challenges over an extended period before the pandemic, relying heavily on government financial assistance to stay afloat.

In December 2019, the company entered business rescue, a process similar to Chapter 11 proceedings in the U.S. After emerging from this phase in May 2021, SAA has been gradually restoring its fleet and expanding its route network.

“Our decision to begin the relaunch of our long-haul service with São Paulo was taken based on a rigorous analysis of the viability of the route,” SAA interim CEO John Lamola says. “Sustainability has been at the heart of SAA’s approach since our restart.”

Cape Town- São Paulo will become the carrier’s first intercontinental route from Cape Town in 11 years since flights to London Heathrow ended in August 2012. 

Cape Town Air Access (CTAA), a route development project established by the economic development agency Wesgro, highlighted São Paulo as the most significant unserved market with the highest growth potential for Cape Town and the Western Cape in 2019, before the onset of the COVID-19 crisis.

In 2019, approximately 43,000 two-way passengers traveled between the two regions, with an average annual growth rate of 26% between 2015 and 2019. The implementation of the direct flight, which takes approximately eight hours, will reduce the current travel time by over 50%.

“A direct, nonstop connection will significantly boost the recovery of Latin American traffic to Cape Town, which stood at only 23% in 2022 compared to 2019 passenger volumes,” Wesgro CEO Wrenelle Stander says. “Beyond the convenience factor, Cape Town is perfectly positioned to serve as a connecting hub between Asia and South America—the direct route will be the shortest one available to date.”

Between Johannesburg and São Paulo, SAA will resume the 7,434 km (4,014 nm) route after a pause of more than three years. Prior to the pandemic, the airline offered daily flights using Airbus A330-300s—one of seven intercontinental routes operated from Johannesburg alongside daily flights to Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London Heathrow, Munich, New York John F. Kennedy, and Perth.

According to CAPA’s Fleet Database, SAA has five A320s, one A330-300, and one A340-300 in service, with two A340-300s and four A340-600s are in storage. The airline was this month given the green light to lease six new aircraft by South Africa’s Minister of Finance and the Minister of Public Enterprises. Five will be A320-family aircraft alongside one A330.
Overall, SAA’s current network stands at 13 nonstop routes, data provided by OAG Schedules Analyser shows. Destinations include Accra, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria; and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. Total weekly capacity is almost 30,000 seats, compared with 192,000 at this time in 2019.