United unveils direct New York-Cape Town flights three times a week

United Airlines will introduce three non-stop flights a week between New York and Cape Town, and they will operate year-round, the US airline said on Thursday.

The new schedule between Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey and Cape Town will start on June 5 and will use a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.

“By offering flights to Cape Town year-round, we're making it even easier for our customers to visit one of the world's best destinations,” said Patrick Quayle, United's senior vice-president of international network planning and alliances.

“United's direct flights from New York/Newark cut the usual travel time to Cape Town by more than five hours, giving visitors extra time to enjoy the beauty and majesty of South Africa.”

United first launched flights to Cape Town in December 2019, and the airline said it quickly became one of the airline's marquee international routes. Direct flights to Johannesburg were added in June 2021.

“This announcement provides much-needed relief to the tourism and hospitality sector in the Western Cape and will support economic recovery in the province,” said Wrenelle Stander, CEO of the trade and tourism promotion agency Wesgro.

“We welcome the news of this expansion and thank United Airlines for their commitment to serving this world-class tourism destination.”

TimesLIVE