Virgin Atlantic has reported taking 32,000 bookings for South Africa in October as the carrier prepares to ramp up services to the country back to 2019 levels next week.
The carrier operated a daily service between Heathrow and Johannesburg before the Covid-19 pandemic. It returned with a three times a week but next week will increase that to daily flights. In December, Virgin will launch its Heathrow-Cape Town service, flying three times a week.
The airline’s head of Middle East, Africa and South Asia, Liezel Gericke, said about 450,000 Britons would annually travel to South Africa prior to the pandemic and that the UK is the country’s main source market.
She said that the “majority” of the 32,000 new bookings were for travel between October and December and noted that, overall, Virgin Atlantic’s South Africa bookings are 10% down versus 2019 levels.
Chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen said 30% of the capacity to Cape Town had been sold in the last two weeks of October.
He said: “We’ve been reaching 2019 levels on many routes, but South Africa has not been normal.”
Kgomotso Ramothea, the acting hub head at South Africa Tourism, said: “Cape Town is a leisure destination, and it aligns with what consumers are considering. This new route is brilliant for us.
“It was due to launch in 2020. We’re encouraged by the increase in capacity and benefits the customer because it provides them with choice.”
Britons flying into South Africa must take a PCR test within 72 hours prior to arrival. Children under five do not have take a test.