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Emirates Airlines and South African Airways have strengthened their nearly 30-year partnership with plans for a fully reciprocal codeshare agreement ahead of the festive travel rush.

The move, according to the airlines, is designed to expand connectivity for passengers and boost traffic across both airlines’ networks.

This was made known in a statement made available to The PUNCH   by South African Airways.

A codeshare agreement allows airlines to carry passengers for another airline under a business agreement.

When codeshares are exploited, it helps passengers get to their destinations on one single ticket, making connecting hassle-free for them.

The statement showed that under the enhanced arrangement, Emirates passengers will be able to book single-ticket itineraries with seamless baggage transfer from Johannesburg to three domestic destinations such as Cape Town, Durban and Gqeberha, as well as 13 additional points across Africa, including “Abidjan, Accra, Dar es Salaam, Kinshasa, Windhoek, Lagos, Lusaka, Harare, Lubumbashi, Victoria Falls and Mauritius.”

The statement noted that “the new agreement, signed during the 2025 Dubai Airshow, will also allow Emirates to tap deeper into feeder traffic from South Africa and the region, while strengthening long-haul flows from markets such as the UK and the US. It expands on an existing partnership through which SAA customers already access Emirates’ growing Dubai schedule, which is soon to reach 56 weekly flights and 68 onwards global destinations on an interline basis.

According to both carriers, more than 45,000 travellers have used the partnership since January.

The deal was formalised by Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Adnan Kazim, and SAA’s Group Chief Executive Officer, Prof. John Lamola.

Kazim said the collaboration has been central to Emirates’ Africa strategy since 1997. “Our collaboration has created reliable connectivity for passengers to explore more of the globe with simplified, seamless travel. South Africa remains a cornerstone of our African network and one of the most consistently busy routes we serve.”

He added that both airlines will continue working to unlock benefits for their mutual customers.

Meanwhile, Lamola described the agreement as a milestone in the carriers’ 28-year partnership.

He said, “It reflects South African Airways’ commitment to delivering seamless connectivity for our customers and strengthening South Africa’s position as a key aviation hub.

“By expanding our collaboration, we are unlocking greater travel and trade opportunities across Africa and globally, ensuring that our passengers benefit from world-class service and convenience.”

Beyond the codeshare, the memorandum of understanding also outlines plans for deeper cooperation in loyalty programmes, cargo operations, and schedule coordination.

In a related development, Emirates confirmed it will introduce a third daily flight between Dubai and Cape Town starting 1 July 2026.

The airline said the new expansion will be operated with a Boeing 777, and the additional frequency will add more than 600 seats per day to South Africa’s top tourist destination.

The airline noted that demand on the Cape Town route has remained robust, with consistently high seat factors across its existing double-daily schedule. Inbound traffic from Gulf Cooperation Council countries continues to rise, while outbound demand remains strong for Europe and the US East Coast.