LH resumes flights to CPT on B747
Lufthansa has become the first international airline to resume flights to South Africa. After landing its first scheduled flight in the country for several months on Thursday morning, Lufthansa has announced services will continue to Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Flights have resumed owing to the easing of travel restrictions in South Africa. The country lifted its international travel ban at midnight, as a host of carriers announced their intention to resume flights to South Africa, including Emirates, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Air France.
While Lufthansa carried out a number of repatriation flights during South Africa’s six-month lockdown period, commercial flights were not available. Like most countries worldwide, South Africa implemented lockdown measures and travel restrictions in March to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
The route from Frankfurt to Cape Town will operate twice a week, and services will resume on Wednesday, October 7. Notably, flights are to be conducted using the airline’s fleet of Boeing 747’s. Lufthansa has a number of aging 747-400’s, along with its “flagship” 747-8’s. Additionally, the airline plans to add 20 brand-new 777-9’s to its fleet in 2022.
While there is plenty of room for optimism for the international travel market, airlines are still cautious about future prospects. Scheduled flights are subject to change on short notice depending on demand, so there is no guarantee international flights will remain in place long-term.