Virgin Atlantic has resumed its seasonal Cape Town service and will add four weekly return services from December, taking its peak operation to up to 11 flights per week.
Source: Supplied
The airline's additional Cape Town services will begin on 11 December from London Heathrow and 12 December from Cape Town, with the route operated by Boeing 787-9 aircraft. The expansion comes as the airline marks 30 years of flying between the UK and South Africa.
Speaking in Cape Town on 20 October, Virgin Atlantic chief commercial officer Dave Geer said the airline would consider extending the seasonal service, potentially to year-round operations, if the expanded schedule proved commercially successful.
Additional flights respond to demand
Virgin Atlantic's seasonal flight VS478 from London Heathrow to Cape Town resumed on 15 October, with the return VS479 service beginning on 16 October.
The additional VS414 service will operate from London Heathrow on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 December. The return VS415 service will operate from Cape Town on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays from 12 December.
Geer said demand for direct flights between London and Cape Town had grown since Virgin Atlantic returned to the market about four years ago. The airline has gradually lengthened its seasonal operation as demand has developed.
“The focus is on seeing how that goes, making sure that that's a success. If that's successful, then we can have a serious look at extending the season or going year-round,” Geer said.
Geer said the airline was seeing more travellers willing to pay for premium cabins, across both business and leisure travel.
“Whether you're travelling for business or leisure, there are more and more people willing to spend that little bit more to travel towards the front of the plane, in our Upper Class or Premium cabins,” he said.
Marc Harding, country manager for South Africa at Virgin Atlantic, said the increased capacity reflected the airline's continued commitment to the Western Cape.
“Cape Town is a great example of how we can respond to customer demand. We have continued to build our seasonal operation, and this winter we’re increasing capacity again, reinforcing our commitment to Cape Town and the Western Cape. We’re also responding to strong demand in Johannesburg, while continuing to invest in the customers, people and partnerships that have made these markets successful.”
Connectivity supports tourism and trade
Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro and official spokesperson for Cape Town Air Access, welcomed the additional flights, highlighting the role of connectivity in supporting tourism, trade and investment.
“Virgin Atlantic’s return to Cape Town, alongside additional flights from December, is a welcome vote of confidence in the Western Cape. Greater connectivity with London supports tourism, trade and investment, bringing more opportunities for businesses and visitors alike. We value our longstanding partnership with Virgin Atlantic and look forward to building on this momentum to grow international access to our region.”
Geer said Virgin Atlantic's investment in Heathrow as a connecting hub also presented opportunities to grow traffic between South Africa and other international destinations, including the US. Most passengers travelling between South Africa and the UK currently fly point-to-point, leaving scope to develop connecting traffic through Heathrow.
Longer Cape Town season depends on demand
Geer added that Virgin Atlantic had gradually extended its seasonal Cape Town operation since returning to the market about four years ago. The airline is increasing Cape Town capacity by about 50% this winter, while Johannesburg capacity is growing by 80%, according to Geer.
The airline will first need to establish that the expanded Cape Town schedule is commercially successful before considering a longer season or year-round operations.
Aircraft availability is another constraint on expansion, with delivery bottlenecks at both Airbus and Boeing limiting how quickly Virgin Atlantic can grow its fleet.
“There's a bottleneck with both Airbus and Boeing at the moment, and we've got new aircraft coming,” Geer said.
The additional Cape Town services form part of Virgin Atlantic's wider capacity growth in South Africa for the 2026/27 northern winter season.
