Cathay Pacific Airways is reportedly set to announce non-stop flights from Hong Kong to Cape Town in the near future.
According to media reports, the move comes as an effort to fight back cutthroat competition from mainland Chinese carriers.
In a report by the South China Morning Post, a non-stop flight from Hong Kong would take around 14 hours. Currently, Cathay Pacific passengers can travel between Hong Kong and Cape Town by flying the airline’s daily service to Johannesburg (JNB), operated by its Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, and then connecting on to flights between Johannesburg and Cape Town (CPT) by Kulula Airlines, a low-cost subsidiary of British Airways franchisee, Comair.
This journey takes 17 hours and 55 minutes in total with a minimum transfer time of 2 hours and 45 minutes. A non-stop flight would take about 14 hours, reports Business Traveller.