Cape Town becomes Emirates’ first Southern African destination to welcome the airline’s newest Airbus A350, strengthening global connectivity and expanding Premium Economy access.
Emirates has announced the deployment of its next-generation Airbus A350 on its third daily service between Dubai and Cape Town, marking the aircraft’s first commercial operation in Southern Africa.
The move further cements Cape Town’s position as a key gateway on the airline’s global network and reflects growing demand for travel to and from South Africa.
The new A350 service, launching on 1 July, will operate alongside Emirates’ flagship Airbus A380 and fully retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft on the Dubai–Cape Town route. This diverse fleet mix offers travellers increased flexibility, enhanced connectivity, and access to the airline’s latest onboard products across all cabin classes.
“With the deployment of the next-gen A350 on the third daily service between Dubai and Cape Town, South Africa becomes the only African nation on our network to be served by all three aircraft types on the Emirates fleet,” said Afzal Parambil, Emirates’ regional manager for southern Africa.
“This fleet mix provides the greatest flexibility for our customers travelling in and out of our three gateways, while delivering the world-renowned Emirates experience on every flight.”
The introduction of the A350 also brings Emirates’ latest Premium Economy cabin to Cape Town, complementing the airline’s modern Business and Economy Class offerings. The third daily service will deliver optimised connections via Dubai to major global markets, including London, Dublin, Brussels, Bombay, Australasia, and key Asian destinations.
Beyond Cape Town, Emirates is expanding A350 operations to support rising demand ahead of the northern winter travel season.
New daily A350 services will be introduced to Copenhagen and Phuket, with Copenhagen gaining a second daily frequency from 1 June and Phuket adding a third daily service from 1 July. Premium Economy will be available on these routes, alongside the airline’s newest Business and Economy cabins.
By 1 July, Emirates plans to roll out Premium Economy across more than 84 routes worldwide, operated by retrofitted A380s, Boeing 777s, and A350 aircraft.
In Africa, Addis Ababa will receive daily retrofitted Boeing 777-200LR services from 1 March, while Cape Town’s A350 deployment underscores South Africa’s strategic importance within the airline’s African network.
The expansion highlights Emirates’ continued investment in fleet modernisation, customer comfort, and global connectivity, while reinforcing Cape Town’s growing role as a premier international aviation hub.