South Africa Airways (SAA) used to be considered excellent, and some folks argued they bested Qantas. Well, the airline faced some issues, but took massive steps to regain their status for long haul flights. Read on for the news updates for 2026.

New Routes In 2026

According to Sustainability in the Sky, SAA, “The Johannesburg-based airline is planning to restart flights to the East Coast of the USA in 2026.” Actually, this year is described as the country’s year of “Quantum Growth.” There’s been a lot of restructuring and the airline seems ready to take back its good rep on the global stage.

Firstly, the airline sorted out some of their regional flights, but international direct flight now become possible. In some cases, long haul flights that previously operated stopped. But now, folks can look forward to a number of non-stop options.

Australia, South America, USA

The pandemic saw the halting of the direct flight from Oliver Tambo Airport to Perth, Australia. However, they resumed them and in 2026 there will be five planned weekly flights.

Meanwhile, South America is back on the list for direct flights to between Johannesburg, Cape Town, and São Paulo. The trip found popularity in 2024, and in 2026, the service, one of the few nonstop links between the two continents, carried over on the flight schedules.

North America, a vital destination hasn’t gone unnoticed. The most anticipated move for late 2026 is the planned relaunch of direct flights to the USA. New York and Washington are on the list. To facilitate that, the flight hub will be Accra in Ghana.

Maurituis & Regional Flights

Historically, a lot of problems beset the airline, but now, the direct haul to Mauritius is back as well. In fact, at one stage, they became known for regional flights only. But the government took big steps to help revitalize it.

The expansion is made possible with a growing fleet. Arrangements secured new Airbus A330-300 aircraft which are ideal for business travelers. Apart from that, there’s an improvement in regional flights as well. Plus, the CapeTown to Mauritius route is back.

The focus of SAA’s 2026 schedule is the return of nonstop international flights. So, passengers no longer have to endure those multiple stopovers in Asia, Middle East or Europe with direct services from South Africa’s primary hubs:

Folks love to travel, but stopping over can be exhausting and rather annoying. So, direct flights in and out of southern africa will be very welcome. However, while some flights are already operational, others might face delays with the availability of aircraft and delivery times.

A Partnership For Domestic Flights

In other news, as of January this year, South African Airways (SAA) and CemAir entered a partnership that will improve connectivity between major cities and some domestic destinations not previously covered. That makes it useful for folks who arrive on a long haul flight and want to get to other destinations in the country.

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