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Will FlySafair's new African route slash fares?

FlySafair is launching a brand-new international route from Cape Town, but don’t expect rock-bottom fares just yet.

Richard Holmes
Written by
Richard Holmes
Contributor, South Africa
FlySafair
Photograph: Marsel Roothman
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Planning to combine a trip to Cape Town with desert adventures in Namibia? There’s good news in store, with FlySafair announcing it will launch a brand-new international route in October, connecting Cape Town to Hosea Kutako International Airport outside the Namibian capital city of Windhoek.

The new route launches on October 22, 2024, with two fights per week, and marks FlySafair’s first-ever international route operated from Cape Town.

FlySafair will fly from Cape Town to Windhoek twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Flights depart Cape Town at 12.50 pm, landing in Windhoek at 2.55 pm. Return flights leave Windhoek at 2.05 pm, arriving in Cape Town at 4.15 pm.

Currently, only the full-service airline Airlink operates direct services from Cape Town to Windhoek.

And while travellers will hope that the arrival of FlySafair’s low-cost model on the route will drive airfares down, that’s not necessarily going to be the case.

Time Out looked at fares – both including checked luggage – for random pairs of dates in November, December and January. Although FlySafair’s fares were generally cheaper, by around R600, they’re not quite the bargain you might have hoped for.

November 12-16, 2024: FlySafair R3800 return. Airlink R4488

December 10-14, 2024: FlySafair R4800. Airlink R4418

January 14-18, 2025: FlySafair R3800. Airlink R4488

Airlink’s fares were calculated on the cheapest available fare, some of which had extremely limited availability, while FlySafair didn’t reflect how many of the 'cheapest fare' seats were available for each flight. 

But, whether you bag a cheaper fare or not, the extra capacity and flexibility on routes and times will certainly make it easier than ever to soak up the desert sands of Namibia.  

And, have you heard? This Namibian reserve is Africa’s first Wilderness Quiet Park!

 

 

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