Cape Town is set for a significant increase in international air connectivity this spring, with several airlines launching new seasonal services or increasing frequencies on existing routes.
According to CAJ News Africa, the expansion is expected to provide a major boost to South Africa’s “Mother City” by improving access from key international tourism markets. The update was provided by Wesgro, Cape Town and the Western Cape’s official tourism, trade and investment promotion agency.
KLM increased its Cape Town–Amsterdam service from daily flights to 10 flights per week from August 31. Swiss carrier Edelweiss is scheduled to resume its seasonal Zurich–Cape Town service from September 5, while Norse Atlantic Airways will launch a direct seasonal service between Cape Town and London Gatwick from September 10. Germany’s Condor will resume its non-stop Frankfurt–Cape Town seasonal service on September 17, while Air France is scheduled to restore its seasonal Paris–Cape Town route from September 23, with an expanded operating season.
Further connectivity will come from regional carrier Airlink, which plans to introduce new direct services from Cape Town to Mauritius and Zanzibar in October. During the same month, Turkish Airlines will increase its Istanbul–Cape Town frequency from seven to 10 flights per week. The additional capacity comes as Cape Town International Airport continues to record growth in international passenger traffic. In July 2026, the airport handled 242,077 two-way international passengers, representing a 10% increase compared with July 2025.
Domestic traffic also recorded modest growth, reaching 615,536 two-way passengers, up 1% year-on-year. CAJ News attributed the increase partly to the local holiday period and some relief from lower fuel prices. The growing number of direct international connections is expected to strengthen Cape Town’s position as a major tourism and business destination, while providing travellers with more options and supporting the wider hospitality and tourism economy
