Emirates and South African Airways Expand Partnership with Codeshare Agreement
Emirates and South African Airways have announced a significant expansion of their enduring partnership by agreeing to pursue a reciprocal codeshare arrangement, aimed at enhancing seamless travel options ahead of the upcoming peak season.
This enhanced agreement will enable Emirates customers traveling from Johannesburg to connect effortlessly to domestic destinations, including Cape Town, Durban, and Gqeberha, as well as thirteen additional regional locations across Africa. Furthermore, the partnership is set to channel long-haul traffic from the UK and US into the South African market, enriching connectivity and options for global travelers.
The move is based on an existing arrangement that grants South African Airways passengers access to Dubai via Emirates’ 56 weekly flights from three South African gateways, with onward connections to 68 international destinations. Since January, the partnership has already benefitted 45,000 passengers.
The new memorandum of understanding (MoU) was officially signed during the 2025 Dubai Airshow by Adnan Kazim (Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer) and Professor M. John Lamola (Group Chief Executive Officer of South African Airways). The agreement will also provide opportunities for further cooperation in areas such as loyalty programmes, cargo operations, and network coordination.
Adnan Kazim emphasized that the long-standing partnership has “delivered reliable connectivity for nearly three decades,” underscoring South Africa as a “key market for Emirates’ African operations.” Professor M. John Lamola highlighted that the updated agreement “strengthens South Africa’s role as an aviation hub and expands opportunities for travel and trade.”
Further strengthening its presence, Emirates has also announced the launch of a third daily flight on its Dubai–Cape Town route, starting 1st July, 2026. This new service, operated by a Boeing 777, will add more than 600 daily seats, addressing soaring demand on one of the airline’s busiest African routes. The new EK778 service will depart Dubai at 10:25 and arrive in Cape Town at 18:05. The return EK779 flight leaves Cape Town at 20:00, landing in Dubai at 07:25 the following day, thereby improving connectivity to major destinations in Asia and Europe.
Marking 30 years of operations in South Africa, Emirates continues to invest in the market through expanded Johannesburg services and the deployment of its first retrofitted Boeing 777 in Africa, which features upgraded cabins and the airline’s Premium Economy product.
Team V.4-EM-UAE
