Photo: Qantas Airways After making history by announcing it will connect Sydney and New York nonstop from 2028 using specially configured Airbus A350-1000ULR aircraft designed for ultra-long-haul flights, Qantas has good news for Cape Town travelers.
The Australian airline will launch the first-ever nonstop passenger service between Australia and Cape Town in October 2027, opening a new direct link between Sydney and South Africa's popular coastal city.
Photo: QantasThe seasonal route will operate three times a week until March 24, 2028, with the inaugural flight scheduled for October 19, 2027. Tickets go on sale today, with return Economy fares starting at AUD 2,470.
Flights will operate as QF89 aboard Qantas Boeing 787 Dreamliners, departing Sydney at 9:15 a.m. and arriving in Cape Town at 2:40 p.m. local time. The journey will take approximately 14 hours and 25 minutes.
Photo: QantasThe new service will add almost 30,000 seats between Australia and South Africa during the operating period, giving travelers a direct alternative to connecting flights. It will complement Qantas' existing services from Perth and Sydney to Johannesburg, where passengers can connect to Cape Town through partner airline Airlink.
The launch is supported by the arrival of additional Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners in late 2027, as part of Qantas' largest fleet renewal program.
Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace said the airline had identified strong demand for direct flights to Cape Town, noting that tens of thousands of passengers already travel through Johannesburg each year before connecting to the city.
The announcement also comes 75 years after Qantas first began scheduled passenger services to South Africa. In 1952, the airline's so-called Wallaby Route to Johannesburg took 66 hours, with stops in Perth, the Cocos Islands and Mauritius. The new service will allow passengers to leave Sydney in the morning and reach Cape Town on the same day.
Demand for travel between the two countries has been growing. More than 120,000 Australians visited South Africa in 2025, while Australian arrivals increased by 19% year on year in June 2026, making Australia South Africa's third-largest overseas source market, overtaking Germany.
The route is also expected to benefit the large South African community in Australia. Almost 225,000 South African-born residents live in the country, with around a quarter based in New South Wales.
Australian Trade and Tourism Minister Don Farrell welcomed the announcement, describing it as the first direct link between Australia and Cape Town and an important development for tourism, trade and international travel.
Wesgro CEO Wrenelle Stander said the new connection would create opportunities for tourism, investment and business exchange while supporting employment and the wider visitor economy in South Africa's Western Cape region.