US airline United Airlines will launch the first ever nonstop flights between Cape Town and New York/Newark, in the US, on December 16.
A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will operate on this new route, with three return flights a week. The service is expected to cut the journey time between the two cities by more than four hours.
"Our new service between Cape Town and New York will provide our business and leisure customers with a seamless and more convenient way to travel between South Africa and North America and more immediate access to everything the Americas has to offer.
"We also look forward to offering our customers in North America easier access to South Africa with its incredible tourism attractions and business opportunities,” United Airlines regional sales MD Bob Schumacher commented this week.
Western Cape Finance and Economic Opportunities Minister David Maynier noted that the US was a key tourism and business market for the province.
"This new service will open up the US and North American markets to opportunities in the Western Cape and significantly contribute towards growing our tourism sector and stimulating economic growth in the Western Cape," he added.