British Airways has launched a new direct route from London Heathrow to Durban.
BA will fly from London Heathrow Terminal 5 to Durban (King Shaka International Airport) three times a week from Monday 29 October 2018.
Flights will be operated with a three class Boeing 787-8 aircraft.
This is the only direct route between Europe and Durban. Emirates flies direct to Durban from Dubai. Qatar Airways and Turkish Airlines also serve Durban via Johannesburg.
Although flights do not operate daily, it will be possible to connect to domestic BA services to/from Cape Town and Johannesburg on flights operated by BA’s franchise partner Comair.
This does solidify BA’s position on the London – South Africa market. BA is the sole operator on London Heathrow – Cape Town, to where BA can despatch up to three Boeing 747s a day in the winter. BA also operates up to two Airbus A380s a day on London Heathrow – Johannesburg, where South African Airways is cutting capacity.
One noteworthy difference to Cape Town and Johannesburg is that the return flight to London is a day flight rather than an overnight flight, which is obviously a matter of personal preference.
Flights are on sale now at ba.com
London Heathrow – Durban
Flight BA41 Depart London Heathrow 16:55 – Arrive Durban 05:25 (Monday, Thursday, Saturday)
Flight BA40 Depart Durban 07:30 – Arrive London Heathrow 18:25 (Tuesday, Friday, Sunday)
(Timetable is indicative and is subject to change according to days of the week and seasons.)
Update December 2020
Following the outbreak of COVID-19, this route appears to be permanently suspended.