Qantas to Launch Sydney - Cape Town Flights

[levelnine]

'Qantas said in August that it would cut around 5 per cent of domestic capacity and exit or pare back unprofitable international routes. On Friday, it said it would start flying between Sydney and Cape Town in South Africa.'

Qantas points to higher airfares as fuel bill rises more than $1b

The airline said it could keep cutting capacity and increasing prices as a long conflict in the Middle East keeps the price of oil at record levels.

www.afr.com

 

[Dmac59]

Article is behind the AFR paywall unfortunately.

 

[darloflyer]

Article is behind the AFR paywall unfortunately.

https://archive.li/BRcSj

 

[levelnine]

Article is behind the AFR paywall unfortunately.

There's not any other details in that article. Will need to wait for the full announcement from QF.

 

[MELso]

Coming in November 27. (And the SYD business lounge reopens in December)

https://investor.qantas.com/DownloadFile.axd?file=/Report/ComNews/20261106/03158883.pdf

 

[Bundy Bear]

I just booked to head to CapeTown in May next year.
Not sure I would want to change my booking to go direct.

 

[MelbFlyer]

Seems redundant to have SYD-CPT in addition to SYD-JNB.

Honestly QF are better off focusing their attention on making other more important routes daily or double daily, ie. MEL-HKG or SYD-HKG.

 

[CaptJCool]

Here’s the details

Seasonal flights Oct 27-March 2028

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-to-launch-first-non-stop-flights-between-australia-and-cape-town

 

[mbe1510]

Here is the media release

https://www.qantasnewsroom.com.au/media-releases/qantas-to-launch-first-non-stop-flights-between-australia-and-cape-town

3 times a week on Tuesday, Friday and Sundays with QF89 departing at 9.15 and arriving at 14.40.

Absolutely love South Africa so super excited by this as currently you almost need to stay the night in Johannesburg to avoid the stress of a delayed A380 ruining onward plans

 

[levelnine]

Seems redundant to have SYD-CPT in addition to SYD-JNB.

Seems to be driven by this: 'In June this year, Australia overtook Germany to become South Africa’s third-largest overseas source market, with arrivals up 19 per cent year on year'

 

[mbe1510]

Seems to be driven by this: 'In June this year, Australia overtook Germany to become South Africa’s third-largest overseas source market, with arrivals up 19 per cent year on year'

Plus massive family market between Australia/New Zealand and South Africa. You're only option to get to South Africa other than these flights + SAA is to go via the Middle East, Singapore or Hong Kong. All of which add 12-14 hours on top.

For leisure travels apart from the cost of flying, the country is pretty affordable compared to elsewhere + amazing time of year to go.

 

[SYD]

Seems redundant to have SYD-CPT in addition to SYD-JNB.

Honestly QF are better off focusing their attention on making other more important routes daily or double daily, ie. MEL-HKG or SYD-HKG.

Seems to be driven by this: 'In June this year, Australia overtook Germany to become South Africa’s third-largest overseas source market, with arrivals up 19 per cent year on year'

Follow the money! Makes good business sense.

 

[jrfsp]

Curious to see which “unprofitable intl routes get cut”

 

[justinbrett]

Seems redundant to have SYD-CPT in addition to SYD-JNB.

Honestly QF are better off focusing their attention on making other more important routes daily or double daily, ie. MEL-HKG or SYD-HKG.

QF don't even fly SYD-LAX double daily (although they have done previously) - in this decade more thin routes is the business model.

 

[Daver6]

I would have thought PER-CPT daily and remove the PER-JNB flight would have made more sense.

 

[Bundy Bear]

Curious to see which “unprofitable intl routes get cut”

This is to line up with more new planes arriving so unlikely a route will be cut.

 

[SYD]

Curious to see which “unprofitable intl routes get cut”

What are you quoting from? No mention of cuts in the earlier presser.

 

[LionKing]

Honestly, why wasting another 8 hours of the valuable B789 by starting from Sydney and not Perth?

I am very puzzled why any flights to destinations west of Australia, other than South East Asia needs to be from Sydney.

Having South African flights from Perth, not Sydney will not only improve aircraft utilisation, but also allow passengers to earn more status credits with extra stops at Adelaide.

 

[jrfsp]

What are you quoting from? No mention of cuts in the earlier presser.

AfR article
Direct quote is actually “Qantas said in August that it would cut around 5 per cent of domestic capacity and exit or pare back unprofitable international routes.”

 

[Melburnian1]

I would have thought PER-CPT daily and remove the PER-JNB flight would have made more sense.

Agree. While I haven't looked at the Census statistics, from memory there's a lot more South African immigrants residing in Perth than on the east coast of Australia. That's natural: closer to remaining rellies and friends in South Africa, and Perth's Mediterranean climate would be attractive, plus the two countries' shared dependence on mineral production, and Perth's reputation as a safe, albeit very isolated, and growing city with a good lifestyle encompassing attractive beaches, 'Rotto', wildflowers in rural areas in season, many southwest WA wineries and trendy towns.