United Airlines has applied to the U.S. Department of Transportation (DoT) to operate scheduled passenger and cargo service between Washington DC and Cape Town with three weekly frequencies.
The airline currently has expanded service between Cape Town and Newark, which will be operated year-round, and with the application for this new route, the carrier seeks to offer U.S. travelers greater travel options.
United Airlines plans to begin this new service on November 17, 2022, operated on 257-seat Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft.
The proposed schedule is as follows:
- Washington Dulles (IAD) 18:30 – Cape Town (CPT) 16:15+1 Monday, Thursday, and Saturday.
- Cape Town (CPT) 21:00 – Washington Dulles (IAD) 06:00+1 Tuesday, Friday, and Sunday.
The airline requests this route to operate year-round, with the option to change the service to seasonal to adjust for capacity and demand fluctuations.
With the addition of additional frequencies, United will expand its presence between the U.S. East Coast and Cape Town, complementing the carrier’s non-stop operation between Newark and Johannesburg.
The company will offer travelers from South Africa the option of connecting through 49 U.S. destinations via its major East Coast hubs. Also through its partner Airlink, United will offer multiple connections from Cape Town (CPT) to 15 destinations in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, and Zimbabwe.
Currently, only 21 weekly frequencies are available between the U.S. and South Africa between each nation’s carriers. Delta recently applied to the DoT for service between Atlanta (ATL) and Cape Town (CPT), and with this new United application, it will exceed the available frequencies.
See also: Delta Airlines applies to DOT for flights to Cape Town
The Chicago-based airline explained to the DoT the minimum level of frequencies it would be willing to accept, provided Delta accepts United’s proposal.
United during 2021 expanded its international offerings in Africa with the opening of new destinations and expects to consolidate its operation on the continent by expanding its service to Cape Town (CPT).
Boreal summer season schedule:
- Newark (EWR) – Johannesburg (JNB) daily flights on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
- Newark (EWR) – Cape Town (CPT) three weekly frequencies on Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.
- Washington Dulles (IAD) – Lagos, Nigeria (LOS) three weekly frequencies on Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
- Washington Dulles (IAD) – Accra, Ghana (ACC) daily flights on Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
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