Qantas Plans Nonstop Sydney to Cape Town From October 2027
Qantas will fly a Boeing 787-9 between Sydney and Cape Town three times a week from 19 October 2027. It would be the airline's third South Africa route.
Qantas has announced a nonstop route from Sydney to Cape Town, the first time Australia will have direct flights to the South African city. It adds a third South Africa route to the airline's network.
Three flights a week from October 2027
The first departure from Sydney Kingsford Smith is set for 19 October 2027. Flights run on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays, and one Boeing 787-9 can cover the schedule.
QF89 leaves Sydney at 10:15 and lands at 15:55 the same day, a block time of 14 hours and 40 minutes. QF90 leaves Cape Town at 17:55 and lands in Sydney at 14:50 the next day, in 12 hours and 55 minutes.
On a great circle basis the route covers 5,945 nautical miles, or 11,010 km, each way. Real-world flying will add to that. There will be no payload restriction, so the aircraft can carry a full load of passengers and belly freight.
A small, premium cabin
Qantas 787-9s seat 236 people. That is 42 in business, 28 in premium economy and 166 in economy, so around 18% of the capacity is in business.
What the numbers say
In 2025, 87,000 round-trip passengers travelled between Australia and Cape Town, according to booking data. That is nearly a fifth more than in 2024. Sydney was the largest market, with about 23,000 passengers. A nonstop service may grow that local traffic by around 40%.
Qantas will also aim at connecting travellers from Auckland, Brisbane and Melbourne, which together account for around 42,000 passengers.
Fares are relatively high. The average one-way fare on Sydney to Cape Town, across all airlines and cabins, is US$1,335, excluding taxes but including a fuel surcharge. That is around 12% above the average for Sydney to Johannesburg, even though the Cape Town flight is marginally shorter.
Network planner and industry commentator Behramjee Ghadially expects the service to do well, saying Australians love visiting "new exotic places". He also expects tour operators to use it for open-jaw trips, flying into Johannesburg and home from Cape Town.
Qantas and South Africa
Qantas will now fly from Sydney to Cape Town and Johannesburg, and from Perth to Johannesburg. The Perth route is the only one where it faces direct competition, from South African Airways, and it is the one flown by an Airbus twinjet, an A330-200.
Qantas flew Perth to Johannesburg until 2023. The route returned in December 2025.
The Cape Town service will also be the city's longest route within the Southern Hemisphere.
Source: Simple Flying