The United Airlines will be introducing the first-ever nonstop flight from Newark Liberty International Airport in New York to Cape Town on the 16th of December 2019. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will operate on a seasonal service on the route between December and March with three flights a week.
The aircraft features 48 seats in United Polaris business class, 88 seats in Economy Plus and 116 seats in United Economy. “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,” said Bob Schumacher, United Regional Managing Sales Director.
The launch of this flight service has already led to an 11% increase in forward bookings by US tourists to the Mother City for the upcoming summer season said Tim Harris, CEO of Wesgro. Wesgro is the trade, investment, and tourism promotion agency of the Western Cape and played a major role in securing the route. The airline service between the two cities will improve the current journey time by more than four hours.
According to David Maynier, Western Cape Provincial Minister of Finance and Economic Opportunities “The United States is a key tourism and business market for the province, and we look forward to welcoming United’s customers to Cape Town and the Western Cape. This new service will significantly contribute towards growing our tourism sector and stimulating economic growth in the Western Cape,” .
