Qantas will launch its first non-stop service between Sydney and Cape Town in October 2027, a seasonal route that will add almost 30,000 seats between Australia and South Africa.
Flights will operate three times a week, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, from 19 October 2027 to 25 March 2028, subject to government and regulatory approval, using Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners. The return flight, QF90, will leave Cape Town at 4.40pm and arrive in Sydney at 1.45pm the following day. Tickets went on sale on 6 November.
The route depends on new 787-9s arriving in late 2027 as part of Qantas’ fleet renewal programme. It will complement the airline’s existing flights from Johannesburg to Perth and Sydney, with onward connections to Melbourne, Brisbane and New Zealand.
“Cape Town is one of the world’s great cities and Australia’s appetite to visit has never been stronger,” said Qantas International CEO Cam Wallace. He added that the timing would give Springboks fans a new direct way to travel to Sydney for the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.
“Direct air access is one of the most important drivers of tourism growth,” said Wrenelle Stander, chief executive of Wesgro, the Western Cape’s tourism, trade and investment agency.
More than 224,000 South African-born people live in Australia, its seventh-largest migrant community. The launch comes 75 years after Qantas began scheduled passenger flights to South Africa; its Wallaby Route to Johannesburg took 66 hours in 1952.
Long-haul capacity into South Africa is growing. Emirates is bringing its A350 and Premium Economy to Durban, while Qantas is preparing to launch non-stop Sydney–London flights under Project Sunrise.
