Getting from London to Cape Town is about to get easier. Two UK carriers are adding weekly flights on the Heathrow route in time for the South African summer, giving travellers more choice and better timings on one of the world's most popular long-haul leisure routes.

British Airways will bump its London Heathrow to Cape Town service from the current daily flight up to 10 flights per week. The three extra services run under flight numbers BA43/BA42 and kick in from 28 March 2027, when the airline's summer schedule begins. For anyone booking a Cape Town trip around the UK Easter break or the South African high season, that means more departure options across the week.

Virgin Atlantic is going even further. Between October 2026 and April 2027, it plans up to 11 weekly flights from Heathrow to Cape Town, plus 10 weekly to Johannesburg. It is also tweaking timings, with earlier morning arrivals in South Africa and later evening departures back to London — handy if you want a full final day on the coast rather than killing hours at the airport. The airline says demand has been strong, especially among premium travellers, and its South Africa country manager Marc Harding points to convenience and connectivity as the key selling points.

Put together, the two airlines will offer more than 20 weekly flights from Heathrow to Cape Town alone at peak. That kind of capacity usually means better fare competition and easier award redemptions, particularly if you are flexible on dates. It also reflects a broader pattern: international airlines keep adjusting their South African schedules upward heading into the 2026/27 peak season.

For travellers, the timing matters. Cape Town's summer runs roughly November to March, exactly when the new frequencies are in place. The 28 March 2027 start for BA's extra flights straddles the tail end of summer, so shoulder-season visitors in April get the benefits too — fewer crowds at Cape Point and the Winelands, with more flights to choose from. Anyone combining Cape Town with a safari or a Johannesburg stopover will find the Virgin schedule particularly useful, with daily-plus frequencies to both cities.

In short: if a Cape Town trip has been on the list, 2027 is shaping up to be a good year to book it.