Cape Town welcomes Africa's first A350-1000

Cape Town International Airport (CTIA) has added another feather to its cap with the arrival of Africa’s first Airbus A350-1000, operated by Ethiopian Airlines. The newly deployed A350-1000 is the first of its kind to serve an African route - bringing cutting-edge comfort and efficiency to Cape Town’s skies.

Ethiopian Airlines has introduced this flagship aircraft onto its Cape Town schedule in response to rising passenger demand, complementing its existing Dreamliner service of 11 weekly flights. By the end of March 2026, the airline plans to operate double daily flights between on the route between Cape Town and its Addis Ababa International Bole Airport hub (ADD).

Welcomed capacity growth

The capacity increase comes just as Cape Town International reported handling a record 11.1 million two-way passengers in 2025, its busiest year on record.   

"With this expanded capacity and network, Ethiopian Airlines demonstrates its long-term commitment to Cape Town and the Western Cape, offering passengers and businesses alike the benefits of seamless journeys, reliable schedules, and world-class service," says Hanna Atnafu Makonnen, Ethiopian Airlines Traffic and Sales Manager for Cape Town.

With room for 441 passengers, including 46 in premium Cloud Nine business class, the A350-1000 offers extra-wide seats, enhanced cabin lighting, advanced in-flight entertainment and connectivity, and a quieter, more spacious cabin designed for long-haul comfort.    

International travellers made up a rapidly growing share of this figure, with both inbound and outbound traffic rising year-on-year and December 2025 setting new passenger milestones. 

“The Western Cape is on a mission to double tourism by 2035, as part of the Western Cape’s Growth for Jobs Strategy. These record-breaking figures demonstrate that we are firmly on the road towards achieving this objective," Wrenelle Stander, Wesgro CEO and Official Spokesperson of Cape Town Air Access, previously stated. 

Route connectivity across the continent   

Ethiopian Airlines services from Cape Town, via its hub operations at ADD, offer minimal connection times for long-haul travel to 66 cities across Africa, as well as Europe, Asia, the Middle East, and the Americas.

"As Africa’s largest air cargo operator, Ethiopian Airlines also connects Cape Town to 70 freighter destinations across five continents, supporting e-commerce, trade, and tourism. Our network provides seamless access to over 145 global destinations, including our major hubs in Lomé (with ASKY), Lilongwe (with Malawi Airlines), Lusaka (with Zambia Airways), and Kinshasa (with Air Congo)," added Makonnen. 

Looking ahead, the new Zaha Hadid-designed Bishoftu International Airport in Ethiopia is set to become one of Africa’s largest aviation hubs. The site is 40 km south of Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, and will eventually have a capacity quadruple that of its current main airport, ADD. The development continues to shape discussions about the future of air travel across the continent - a key focus at the recent Skift Mega Trends held in Cape Town.   

READ: Skift Mega Trends: How Cape Town made the case for Africa's tourism future

New Routes and capacity increases  

• LATAM Airlines: Launching direct São Paulo (GRU) - Cape Town (CPT) flights from July 2026, three times per week - first South American carrier to operate direct to Cape Town.
• Air Tanzania: Introduced a triangular route, Dar es Salaam - Victoria Falls - Cape Town - Dar es Salaam, opening a new East African gateway.
• Emirates and Qatar Airways: Increasing flight frequencies to CPT in 2026.
• Summer 2025 frequency increases: United, Delta, Condor, KLM, Norse Atlantic, Air France, TAAG, Qatar Airways, and Proflight Zambia expanded services to Cape Town.