qatar airways

Qatar Airways to scrap first class from new aircraft. Image: Adobe Stock

Qatar Airways to restart flights to and from South Africa

The Doha-based carrier Qatar Airways will reinstate flights to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban from 13 January.

qatar airways

Qatar Airways to scrap first class from new aircraft. Image: Adobe Stock

A number of international airlines that operate flights to South Africa suspended their flights to the country at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Several carriers have operated stop-start schedules to Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban over the last 21 months, by halting their flights when surges in infection rates occurred while others have not operated scheduled flights for an extended period of time.

QATAR AIRWAYS’ FLIGHT BAN

Qatar Airways imposed a flight ban on passengers boarding its flights from several southern African countries in November last year, as a consequence of the detection of the Omicron variant by South African scientists.

The flight and entry bans which were instated as a result of directives issued by Qatari authorities came as a disappointment and aggravation since Qatar Airways had become an airline of choice for many local travellers.

The airline had not dropped South Africa from its route network throughout the pandemic, while many other airlines had removed South Africa destinations from their route networks for certain periods over the last two years.

AIRLINES RESUME SA ROUTES

This week, Australia’s national carrier Qantas Airlines resumed scheduled flights between Sydney and Johannesburg, reconnecting the two continents after an extended period of 21 months without direct flights.

While Emirates Airlines has extended its flight ban on passengers departing from South Africa until at least 12 January, Qatar Airways has announced that it will resume flights to and from South Africa on 13 January, allowing local passengers on its flights once again.     

TRANSIT PASSENGERS ONLY

Travelnews reports that Qatar Airways will be carrying passengers from South Africa into its Doha hub, on its 21 weekly flights from South Africa, starting next Thursday. 

The airline will operate two daily services from Johannesburg and a daily service from Cape Town. Durban will be operated four times a week with tag-on flights from Johannesburg. 

South Africans will not able to enter Qatar as yet. South African-based passengers will be allowed to connect onto destinations served in Qatar Airways’ global route network via its base at Hammad International Airport.