SA-Europe routes below par

SAA’s absence from Europe routes and fewer carriers serving SA and Europe mean that capacity has not recovered to pre-COVID levels.

In 2024, the passenger capacity on South Africa-Europe routes remains at 77% of its pre-pandemic 2019 levels, reports CAPA Centre for Aviation.

In September 2024, Lufthansa launched its new Munich-Johannesburg service, making it the airline with the most routes between South Africa and Europe for the northern winter season.

In terms of seats, British Airways remains the biggest operator in the South Africa-Europe market, with over 60% more capacity than Air France-KLM and Lufthansa.

“The withdrawal of South African Airways and three other operators (from the South Africa-Europe market) since the pandemic has given the remaining leading airlines a higher seat share, but the market has shrunk,” says the CAPA analysis.

According to CAPA, three years before the pandemic, the market experienced a resurgence, fostering hopes of a more dynamic market, however weak post-pandemic recovery indicates that it will take more time to achieve.