Emirates adds nine African routes with single-ticket travel through SAA

Dubai: Emirates passengers can now book single-ticket journeys to nine additional destinations across South Africa and neighbouring countries following an expansion of the airline’s codeshare partnership with South African Airways.

The agreement gives travellers coordinated flight schedules and through-checked baggage to their final destination when connecting between Emirates and SAA services.

Three domestic routes will connect Johannesburg with Cape Town, Durban and Port Elizabeth, while six regional services will link the city with Kinshasa, Gaborone, Windhoek, Lusaka, Harare and Victoria Falls.

Tickets for the expanded routes are now available through Emirates, travel agents and the airline’s retail stores.

Emirates gains access to SAA routes

The airlines previously operated a unilateral codeshare arrangement, with SAA placing its code on Emirates flights between Dubai and Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban.

SAA passengers also received interline access to 68 destinations across the Emirates network through Dubai.

Following regulatory approval, Emirates will now place its code on flights operated by SAA, extending its reach across domestic South African routes and six destinations in neighbouring countries.

Partnership approaches three decades

Emirates and South African Airways have worked together since 1997, making the relationship one of the longest-running airline partnerships in Emirates’ portfolio.

The expanded agreement responds to demand for travel to South Africa from international markets, particularly Europe, while providing passengers with more connections across southern and central Africa.

Emirates began serving South Africa in 1995 with flights to Johannesburg and later expanded its network to Cape Town and Durban.

The airline has carried more than 20 million passengers to and from South Africa and currently operates 56 weekly flights across the three cities.