Emirates, South African Airways enhance codeshare agreement

Emirates and South African Airways have agreed to expand their long-standing partnership by working towards a reciprocal codeshare arrangement, strengthening seamless travel options ahead of the peak season.

The enhanced agreement will allow Emirates customers travelling from Johannesburg to connect onwards to domestic destinations including Cape Town, Durban and Gqeberha, as well as thirteen regional points across Africa. The partnership will also feed long-haul traffic from the UK and US into the South African market.

The move builds on an existing arrangement that provides South African Airways passengers access to Dubai on Emirates’ 56 weekly flights from three gateways, and onward links to 68 global destinations. Since January, 45,000 passengers have used the partnership.

The agreement was signed during the 2025 Dubai Airshow by Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, and Professor M. John Lamola, Group Chief Executive Officer of South African Airways. The MoU will also explore further cooperation across loyalty programmes, cargo operations and network coordination.

Kazim said the long-standing partnership has delivered reliable connectivity for nearly three decades, adding that South Africa remains a key market for Emirates’ African operations. Lamola said the updated agreement strengthens South Africa’s role as an aviation hub and expands opportunities for travel and trade.

Emirates also announced a third daily flight on the Dubai–Cape Town route from 1st July, 2026. Operated by a Boeing 777, the new frequency will add more than 600 daily seats and support rising demand on one of the airline’s busiest African routes.

The new EK778 service will depart Dubai at 10:25 and arrive in Cape Town at 18:05. The return EK779 flight departs Cape Town at 20:00 and lands in Dubai at 07:25 the next day, offering improved connectivity to key destinations in Asia and Europe.

Marking 30 years of operations in South Africa, Emirates has continued to invest in the market with expanded Johannesburg services and the deployment of its first retrofitted Boeing 777 in Africa, featuring upgraded cabins and the airline’s Premium Economy product.

WAM