It’s newest aircraft, the Boeing 787-800 Dreamliner, will operate alongside 14 weekly A380 services, which will bring the frequency rate to 18 a week. The announcement comes soon after the airline announced it will be starting three weekly flights from London to Durban. This summer season will also see an increase in British Airways’ daily Cape Town schedule to provide double-daily flights from London Heathrow, as well as three weekly flights between Gatwick and the Cape Town.
"In total, we’ll be operating our largest schedule ever between the UK and South Africa; 38 flights a week to three destinations using Boeing 747, Boeing 777, Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 aircraft," says Sue Petrie, British Airways regional commercial manager for Southern and East Africa.
The four new Johannesburg services are currently on sale and will start operating on 28 October. The flights will depart London Heathrow at 4.20pm in the afternoon, arriving at OR Tambo at 5.40am the following morning. The return flight will leave Johannesburg at 7.40am in the morning, landing at Heathrow’s Terminal 5 at 5.50pm that evening.
The scheduled increase comes as British Airways rolls out a £4.5bn, five-year customer investment plan, with a focus on excellence in the premium cabins and more choice and quality for all customers.
On its South African routes, it has already introduced new bedding and amenity kits in the Club World cabin, by luxury lifestyle brand, The White Company. The investment will also see a new Club World seat in future.
At Heathrow, British Airways has opened a First Wing check-in area with direct security and lounge access. Lounges around the world are being revamped, including Johannesburg.
In the World Traveller, new expanded menus have been introduced, providing more quantity and quality in the long-haul economy cabin, as well as snack options throughout the flight. The New World Traveller and World Traveller Plus cabins are being rolled out across the Boeing 777 fleet operating from Gatwick. It is these aircraft that fly to Cape Town during the South African summer.
The investment plan will also see British Airways installing the Wi-Fi in every seat, upgrading the interiors of 128 long-haul aircraft and taking delivery of 72 new aircraft.
