Virgin Atlantic introduces direct flights between UK and CT

"Other airlines have stopped their direct flights between London and Cape Town, but we plan our routes to meet the needs and convenience of our customers," says Simon Newton-Smith, country manager for South Africa of Virgin Atlantic Airways. "Cape Town is one of the key tourist destinations in South Africa, with its beautiful beaches and surrounding wine estates. We want to make it easier for international travellers to visit the city. By introducing the direct flight for summer, we believe this will drive additional tourism to both London and Cape Town by offering convenience along with the unique Virgin experience our passengers love. The direct route also cuts down costs, whichever way you're flying."

UK is biggest tourism market

Thulani Nzima, chief executive officer of South African Tourism, says the United Kingdom is by far South Africa's biggest tourism market, having attracted a total of 420 483 tourist arrivals in 2011. "Encouragingly this has increased by 5.5% in the first six months of this year. As the UK market shows signs of recovery from the global recession, airlift capacity and bringing passengers to SA from the UK is critical. We're extremely excited about Virgin Atlantic's launch of the direct seasonal route between London and Cape Town, which we are confident will be successful."

Virgin Atlantic takes all its clients' needs into consideration offering its passengers the option of choosing from economy, premium economy or upper class which offers pure luxury and comfort. The airline launches this route with three flights a week and will move to daily flights at the end of October from London to Cape Town. Return economy fares start from R7 999 per person. This fare is available for selected departures and prices are subject to change.