Virgin Atlantic has made further progress in the Southern Hemisphere by introducing a seasonal service from London Heathrow to Cape Town. These daily flights will begin on October 25th, 2020, just in time for a festive trip to the South African coast this winter.

Southern expansions

According to a Virgin Atlantic press release, the route will be served by the airline’s Boeing 787-9. The aircraft type is already used on the firm’s operations to one of South Africa’s other key cities, Johannesburg.

Virgin Atlantic CEO Juha Jarvinen shared his excitement for the new service. He also mentioned his airline’s Brazilian expansion, which launches next month.

“2020 is an extremely exciting year of continued growth for Virgin Atlantic. Not only are we launching a new service to Sao Paulo in March but we’re delighted to announce a new seasonal service to Cape Town offering more choice for our customers than ever before,” Jarvinen said, as per the release.

“We’re delighted to be flying to Cape Town again - we’re expecting a high proportion of leisure travellers on this route taking advantage of the winter sun, the safaris and of course, the world-famous wine region.”

Flight details 

The outward route will be served as flight number VS478. It will depart Heathrow each day at 16:20 and arrive in Cape Town at 05:55. Therefore, passengers will be able to catch some sleep to be fresh on their arrival.

Virgin Atlantic Boeing 787-9 Bed
Those in Virgin's upper class will want to make full use of the beds on the overnight trip. Photo: Virgin Atlantic

The return flight will be operated as VS479 and will leave the South African legislative capital at 08:00 before arriving in the United Kingdom at 18:00.

Fares for these flights start from £713 ($925) per person for an economy seat. There has been an increase in demand for South African services over the last few years. Growth in tourism has been a key factor in this. However, the nation’s growing economy has also caused a need for better connectivity.

New markets

Other carriers such as United Airlines have also been identifying new opportunities in the region. The Chicago-based operator recently debuted its first flight to Cape Town from New York. This was the first time that any airline operated a non-stop service from North America to the city.

Cape Town
Virgin Atlantic previously launched a service to Cape Town in 1999. However, it discontinued the operation in 2014. With new prospects emerging in the area, it has decided to return. Photo: Virgin Atlantic

Altogether, are plenty of new business developments within the country. Moreover, many North American and European firms are partnering with South African businesses on their commercial projects. Therefore, new links to Cape Town are likely to keep growing.

Simple Flying reached out to Virgin Atlantic for comment on its upcoming service. We will update the article with any further announcements.

Are you excited about this new route to Cape Town? Let us know what you think in the comment section.