Emirates and South African Airways Expand Codeshare with Nine New Routes

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Emirates and South African Airways (SAA) have expanded their codeshare agreement, adding nine new destinations across South Africa and neighboring countries with reciprocal operations in both directions.

Previously, the two airlines operated on a one-way basis, with SAA placing its code on Emirates-operated flights between Dubai and Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, allowing passengers to connect via Dubai to 68 Emirates destinations worldwide. Following regulatory approval, this expansion now enables Emirates to place its code on SAA-operated flights.

The new coverage spans nine routes, including three South African domestic routes between Johannesburg and Cape Town, Durban, and Port Elizabeth, as well as six regional destinations from Johannesburg: Gaborone in Botswana, Harare and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Lusaka in Zambia, and Windhoek in Namibia.

Adnan Kazim, Emirates' Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, said the reciprocal agreement is a "natural evolution" of the two carriers' long-standing partnership. He noted that placing the code on SAA's domestic and regional network provides seamless connectivity for travelers to South Africa and neighboring countries. Matshela Seshibe, Acting Group Chief Executive Officer of SAA, said the move aims to connect people, businesses, and opportunities across the African continent and beyond, while strengthening Johannesburg's role as a gateway for African travel, trade, and tourism.

Emirates has operated routes to South Africa since 1995, carrying over 20 million passengers to and from the region. South Africa is the only market in Emirates' African network to receive all three of its active widebody aircraft types—the Airbus A350, A380, and Boeing 777.