This Wednesday Air Belgium inaugurated its flights from Brussels (BRU) to Cape Town (CPT) with a stopover in Johannesburg (JNB) with two weekly flights. After 20 years Belgium and South Africa are again connected with non-stop services: the last airline to operate between the two nations was the defunct Sabena airline.
Flight KF 2305 was operated in an Airbus A330neo registered with the registration OO-ABG, the aircraft took off from Zaventem Airport (BRU) at 19:45 local time and landed at O.R. Tambo International Airport (JNB) at 08:00 the following day. The flight lasted 10 hours and 46 minutes.
«For Brussels Airport, the launch of Air Belgium’s South Africa route is an important step in the expansion of our destination network with Cape Town and Johannesburg,» said Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport.
«After no less than 20 years, we are particularly proud that this route is open again. This confirms that Brussels Airport is the right choice for Air Belgium’s long-haul services. We both have a diverse clientele that includes Belgian and foreign residents as well as transit passengers,» added Feist.
The airline reports that around 60,000 travelers return from Belgium to South Africa per year, with this number expected to increase to more than 80,000 by 2024 with Air Belgium’s new direct service.
As reported by European media outlet Aviation24.be, the airline has just entered into a codeshare partnership with South Africa’s largest airline operator AirLink, passengers will have options to connect via 38 destinations in South Africa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tanzania, Angola, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Zambia, Uganda, Botswana, Mozambique, Lesotho and Madagascar.
«Air transport markets are rapidly returning to pre-crisis levels and there is currently an imbalance between demand and supply, so the timing couldn’t be better for Air Belgium to enter the market with Brussels Airport as a central gateway to Europe, and Johannesburg and Cape Town ensuring reciprocity,» said Rodger Foster, Airlink’s CEO.
Flight Itinerary
- Brussels – Johannesburg Flight KF 2305 JNB 19:45 – JNB 07:15+1 Wednesday and Sunday.
- Johannesburg – Cape Town Flight KF 2305 JNB 08:45 – CPT 11:10 Monday and Thursday.
- Cape Town – Johannesburg Flight KF 2306 CPT 15:00 – JNB 17:15 Monday and Thursday.
- Johannesburg – Brussels Flight KF 2306 JNB 18:45 – BRU 06:15+1 Monday and Thursday.
The flights will be operated on Airbus A330-900neo aircraft with a capacity of 286 seats in three classes (30 Business Class/ 21 Premium Economy/235 Economy) and promotional fares are available from €553 from Johannesburg and €722 from Cape Town.
This new service also seeks to reduce travel time between Belgium and South Africa with a non-stop service, travelers looking to fly from Brussels to Johannesburg and Cape Town use major European hubs such as Amsterdam, Frankfurt, London or Zurich.
«We also offer travelers an environmentally friendly travel option, as the Airbus A330neo consumes on average 25% less fuel compared to previous generation aircraft. In terms of comfort, our aircraft offer the best: quieter cabins, adjustable lighting, a state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment system and Wi-Fi Internet connection throughout the flight,» said Niky Terzakis, CEO of Air Belgium.
