Qantas Adds First Nonstop Sydney–Cape Town Service With Nearly 30,000 Seats

Qantas will launch a seasonal nonstop service between Sydney and Cape Town on October 19, 2027, running until March 24, 2028 and adding almost 30,000 seats between Australia and South Africa. The airline said tickets went on sale with the announcement, Mirage News reported.

How the Sydney–Cape Town Route Will Work

Qantas will fly the route as QF89 on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner three times per week, on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The flight departs Sydney at 9:15 and arrives in Cape Town at 14:40, a scheduled flight time of about 14 hours 25 minutes. Economy return fares start from AUD$2,470.

The service runs through Cape Town's summer months and sits alongside Qantas' existing direct flights from Perth and Sydney to Johannesburg. Qantas said the route is possible because of new 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft arriving in late 2027 as part of what it calls the largest fleet renewal in its history.

Cam Wallace, Qantas International CEO, said tens of thousands of customers each year connect to Cape Town through partner airlines Airlink on the existing Johannesburg services. "Cape Town is a true bucket-list city and Australia's appetite to visit has never been stronger," Wallace said.

Qantas said more than 120,000 Australians visited South Africa in 2025. In June this year, Australia overtook Germany to become South Africa's third-largest overseas source market, with arrivals up 19 per cent year on year, according to the airline. Qantas also said almost 225,000 South African-born people live in Australia, around a quarter of them in New South Wales.

Senator the Hon Don Farrell, Australia's Minister for Trade and Tourism, called the route "the first direct link between Australia and Cape Town" and "a fantastic outcome for our tourism industry." Wesgro CEO Wrenelle Stander said direct air access is one of the most important drivers of tourism growth.

Qantas Fleet Plans Behind the New Route

According to akta.pro company records, Qantas has ordered 12 A350-1000ULR aircraft from Airbus for its Project Sunrise ultra-long-haul program, with the first delivery scheduled for April 2027. The first aircraft, MSN 707, completed its maiden flight on June 2, 2026. The same records show Project Sunrise is expected to add more than A$400 million annually to Qantas earnings, assuming premium cabin pricing approximately 20% higher than one-stop alternatives.

Earlier Qantas Network and Fleet Moves

On November 5, 2026, Qantas launched its Year of Points Planes for 2027, offering thousands of Classic Reward seats on dedicated domestic and international flights, with the first 10 return services including routes to Tokyo, Paris and Hobart, Mirage News reported. The same day, Qantas Group said it expects fuel costs to stay high through FY27, with first-half FY27 fuel cost at about $3.75 billion and the group 85% hedged, according to Mirage News. Simple Flying reported on November 5, 2026 that Qantas will retire its A380 fleet by mid-2028, four years earlier than planned, replacing the aircraft with its A350 and Boeing 787 fleets.