South Africa Eyes Triple India Flight Links to Boost Tourism Growth
South Africa is advancing plans to establish direct air links with India, aiming to connect Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban to Mumbai under a medium- to long-term strategy led by Airports Company South Africa (ACSA). The shift comes as South African Airways (SAA) targets a return to the India market in 2026 after more than a decade, pending aircraft availability. ACSA has confirmed that a strong business case, driven by passenger demand and in-depth market analysis, has been presented to several carriers to support route viability.
The Mumbai–Johannesburg route remains the primary focus, accounting for 58% of all traffic between the two countries. However, long-term ambitions include expanding to Delhi and launching direct flights to Cape Town and Durban. With India named a priority market by South African Tourism and bilateral agreements already allocating 28 weekly frequencies, efforts are underway to grow visitor arrivals from India to over 133,000 annually by 2030. Stakeholders, including tourism officials and local government, continue engagement with Indian airlines through trade missions and ongoing tourism campaigns.
Source: SA Tourism Update Online
