Why Cape Town International Airport is the 'new darling' for foreign travellers

A variety of international airlines are now opting to fly directly to Cape Town, bypassing Johannesburg.

Journalist Andrew Thompson has unpacked this trend through a detailed analysis of Airports Company South Africa data, revealing a fundamental shift in how — and where — travellers are choosing to enter the country.

"It does seem that Cape Town International is the new darling of, at least, international foreign travellers, from a leisure aspect."

Thompson says Johannesburg is still the economic hub, with the lion's share of air traffic, but that Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) is catching up fast.

"The numbers are striking... Cape Town went from 1.3 million to 8 million passengers over the period that I analysed, which goes back to about 2012. Whereas Joburg peaked at 9.2 million in 2017, and it actually hasn't really recovered."

Thompson says many international cities offer direct flights to the Mother City.

"You can now fly directly to Cape Town from London, Paris, Amsterdam or Frankfurt."

This has also created an opportunity for more direct flights within South Africa from CTIA to other tourist destinations, without going via Johannesburg.

"People are increasingly hurried; they don't have time to spend another three or four hours in an airport."

To listen to Thompson in conversation with CapeTalk’s John Maytham, use the audio player below: