In response to demand, Air France has extended its seasonal route between Cape Town and Paris until May 2026.
This announcement was made by the airline due to how popular the route has proven to be for South Africans.
Originally, the route was only to run until March 2026, and this extension will give those looking to visit the French Capital more time to do so.
“Cape Town remains one of the most inspiring destinations in our network, and we are thrilled to see such strong demand for our seasonal Paris–Cape Town route,” said Wilson Tauro, Country Manager Southern Africa at Air France–KLM.
“We are thrilled to offer our customers a longer window to experience this highly seasonal popular route.”
The flight to Paris will operate daily, with AF0871 departing Cape Town each morning at 08:50 and arriving in Paris at 19:20.
Additionally, the return service, AF0890, departs Paris at 18:30, arriving at Cape Town the following day at 06:45.
These flights use the Airbus A350 and, the airline notes, offer passengers French elegance, comfort, and world-class service.
This includes champagne being served in each cabin and French culinary delights for in-flight dining.
Along with Paris, Air France offers South Africans its global network, making it easy to travel to destinations across Europe and beyond.
“This extension not only reflects the continued appetite for travel between Cape Town and Europe but also reinforces Air France’s commitment to connecting South Africans to the world with style, comfort, and efficiency.”
The airline has also noted that extending this route is a part of their ongoing investment in the South African market and their confidence in the recovery of the country’s tourism sector.
More flight options
This extension from Air France joins a growing list of new flight options for South Africa that have been announced.
Australian-based Qantas, for instance, announced it would launch a new Johannesburg and Perth route in December 2025.
The airline noted that this new route will give South Africans access to Perth and easy connections to Melbourne, Brisbane, and Adelaide via the carrier’s Australian network.
South African Airways (SAA) also announced a new daily service between Johannesburg and Gaborone, Botswana, via a one-hour flight planned to launch on Tuesday, 4 November 2025.
This joins its new route between Cape Town and Mauritius, a twice-daily route that will launch on the same day.
Domestic flights have also added new options, with FlySafair launching a new route between Cape Town and Hoedspruit, Limpopo, last week.
The new route operates on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, and the airline states it will enhance access to the central Kruger region and the wider Limpopo province.
Along with this, FlySafair expanded access between Johannesburg’s Lanseria airport and the Eastern Cape with two new routes to East London and Gqeberha.
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