Qantas announces direct Sydney–Cape Town flights

Qantas has announced a new seasonal non-stop service between Sydney and Cape Town, marking the first time Australians will be able to fly directly to South Africa’s Mother City.

Bookings for this route are now open, with flights scheduled to begin in October 2027 and operate through Cape Town’s summer season until March 2028. The new service will complement Qantas’ existing direct flights from Perth and Sydney to Johannesburg, offering passengers more options for travel between Australia and South Africa.

The new service is expected to add almost 30,000 seats between Australia and South Africa. It will be supported by the arrival of additional Qantas Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft in late 2027, as part of the airline's largest fleet renewal programme in its history.

The Sydney–Cape Town service will operate as QF89, with its inaugural flight scheduled for 19 October 2027. The seasonal service will run until 24 March 2028.

“Cape Town is a true bucket-list city and Australia’s appetite to visit has never been stronger. Each year, tens of thousands of customers use our existing Johannesburg services to connect to Cape Town through our partner airlines Airlink, so we know there’s strong demand for a non-stop service. The arrival of our new 787s as part of our historic fleet renewal gives us the flexibility to grow our international network in places we know our customers want to travel, while also creating new opportunities for our people,” said Cam Wallace, CEO, Qantas International.

Qantas will operate the route three times a week, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, using Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft. Flight QF89 is scheduled to depart Sydney at 09:15 and arrive in Cape Town at 14:40, with an approximate flight time of 14 hours and 25 minutes.

Return fares in Economy will start from AUD 2,470.

The launch also comes 75 years after Qantas began its first scheduled passenger services to South Africa. In 1952, the airline's Wallaby Route to Johannesburg took 66 hours, travelling via Perth, the Cocos Islands and Mauritius. From November 2027, passengers will be able to depart Sydney in the morning and arrive in Cape Town on the same day.

More than 120,000 Australians visited South Africa in 2025, with travel demand continuing to increase. In June 2026, Australia overtook Germany to become South Africa's third-largest overseas source market, recording a 19 per cent year-on-year increase in arrivals. The new route is also expected to strengthen connections between families and friends, with almost 225,000 South African-born people living in Australia, around a quarter of whom reside in New South Wales.

“This is the first direct link between Australia and Cape Town and is a fantastic outcome for our tourism industry. More planes in the sky mean more options for Australian travellers and exporters, and of course international visitors to explore our wonderful sights,” said Senator Don Farrell, Minister for Trade and Tourism of Australia.

“Direct air access is one of the most important drivers of tourism growth, which is why the launch of the new Sydney-Cape Town service is such a significant development for the Western Cape. Australia is an important and growing tourism market for our destination and this route will unlock new opportunities for tourism, trade, investment and business exchange, while making it easier than ever for Australian travellers to visit our region. It will also support job creation and help grow the visitor economy across the Western Cape, further cementing Cape Town and the Western Cape's position as a leading gateway to Africa and a destination that is open for business,” said Wrenelle Stander, CEO, Wesgro.