One of the world’s biggest airlines, Turkish Airlines, has partnered with South Africa’s national airline, South African Airways (SAA), to expand its regional and international routes to and from Johannesburg and Cape Town.
The two airlines signed a codeshare agreement in Geneva on 4 December 2025, which took effect on 15 July 2026, enhancing connectivity between Africa, Türkiye, and several other global destinations.
Some of the highlights of the inter-airline agreement include Turkish Airlines placing its TK flight code on SAA-operated services between Johannesburg and Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Windhoek, Harare, Victoria Falls, and Mauritius.
Additionally, South African Airways will place its SA flight code on Turkish Airlines-operated services between Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban and Istanbul, Paris, London, and Frankfurt.
Thanks to the collaboration, customers benefit from travel options via the Johannesburg and Istanbul hubs, and improved connectivity across both airlines’ networks and enhanced access to major destinations worldwide.
Tickets have been on sale since 15 July 2026, with the first flights commencing the following day, on 16 July 2026.
The airlines confirmed that they would continue to explore more opportunities for deeper cooperation, which will include strategic route development and even further expanded network integration.
South African Airways Acting Group CEO, Matshela Seshibe, noted that the agreement marks an important milestone for South Africa’s national carrier.
“It strengthens SAA’s global connectivity and provides our customers with enhanced travel options across key markets,” he said.
Ahmet Olmuştur, CEO of Turkish Airlines, added that the airline is glad to bring together the two complementary networks and offer passengers more convenient travel options.
Another expansion welcomed
Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille welcomed the international airline’s decision to increase its direct services between South Africa and Türkiye to 20 weekly flights from October 2026.
This expansion will see Turkish Airlines operate 10 weekly direct flights between Istanbul and Johannesburg and 10 weekly direct flights between Istanbul and Cape Town.
The airline currently operates seven weekly flights to Johannesburg and seven weekly flights to Cape Town.
De Lille explained that the route expansion is the result of deliberate engagements between the Department of Tourism and Turkish Airlines, supported by growing demand for travel to South Africa.
“It is another vote of confidence in our tourism sector and aligns with our efforts to improve air access through the Tourism Growth Partnership Plan,” she said.
“More flights mean more visitors, more trade, more investment, and ultimately, more jobs.”
She noted that, in May 2026, arrivals from Türkiye increased by 92% compared with the same month in 2025, highlighting the growing demand for travel between the two countries.
The local tourism sector is building on a strong showing last year, with a record 10.5 million international arrivals in 2025.
Between January and May 2026, South Africa’s airports welcomed 4,761,108 international visitors, which represents a considerable 12.8% year-on-year increase.
Alongside the Turkish Airlines route expansion, several other international airlines have inaugurated flights to and from South Africa.
Last month, Spanish carrier Air Europa launched its inaugural direct service between Madrid and Johannesburg, and Brazil’s LATAM Airlines also commenced three-weekly direct flights between São Paulo and Cape Town.
Loading ...
