CAPE TOWN - British Airways is set to resume services to Cape Town, offering three flights a week in November, before moving to a double daily service in December.
The airline is also expected to ramp up daily services to Johannesburg by mid-December, following the announcement that a significant number of countries, including South Africa, have been removed from the UK Government’s red list.
From Monday, eligible fully vaccinated passengers travelling from South Africa to the UK do not need to quarantine in a hotel or take a pre-departure test. Instead, a Day 2 test will need to be taken.
Travellers to the UK are still required to fill in traveller locator forms before travelling.
British Airways’s services to Mexico City will also be increasing to five services a week from November 6, and Cancun flights will resume from October 22 and operate daily.
British Airways Holidays is now also offering up to £300 (R6100) off holiday packages to some of these destinations, including Mexico and South Africa.
Packages currently available for Cape Town include a British Airways Holidays offer of seven nights, at the Holiday Inn Express Cape Town City Centre from £789pp (R16 000), travelling on selected dates between November 1- 30.
British Airways’ chair and chief executive Sean Doyle said: “It finally feels like we are seeing light at the end of a very long tunnel. Britain will benefit from this significant reduction in red list countries, and now it’s time to turn our attention to eradicating testing for fully vaccinated travellers to ensure we don’t lose our place on the global stage.
“Once we have a firm date for the reopening of US borders in November, we look forward to reconnecting our two countries, reigniting transatlantic businesses and reuniting families who have been separated for the best part of two years. We are ready, and we look forward to operating our first flights and welcoming back our customers.”
Acting British High Commissioner to South Africa Adam Bye said the announcement of South Africa removal from the red list recognised significant and positive developments in tackling Covid-19.
“We thank the National Department for Health, in particular, as well as all in the South African Government, for helping to facilitate the in-depth scientific discussions that took place between South African and UK scientists in recent weeks. Those discussions helped inform this decision.
“The UK and South Africa have a strong relationship and we look forward to seeing families reunited, welcoming British tourists in South Africa for the summer, and businesses coming together.”
Cape Times