Long Hong Kong flights 'direct to Cape Town later this year'

Cape Town is set to get direct flights to Hong Kong.

Cathay Pacific‚ which is based in Hong Kong‚ is poised to announce the flights as it fights back against cut-throat competition from mainland Chinese carriers‚ the South China Morning Post reported on Saturday.

It said a year-round service would launch later this year‚ providing Cape Town with its first non-stop flights to Asia in more than six years.

Competition from the three state-run Chinese airlines and the private Hainan Airlines have been a thorn in Cathay Pacific’s side in the past couple of years.

Mainland airlines have gone head to head with Cathay Pacific‚ including offering significantly cheaper fares to the same destinations‚ the Post said.

The Cape Town flights are expected to take about 14 hours. Singapore Airlines — the only Asian airline serving Cape Town — has a 13hr 55min flight via Johannesburg. It is increasing its four flights a week to a daily service from March 26.

The tourism unit of South Africa’s Beijing embassy said 96% of Chinese visitors who fly to South Africa visit Cape Town. In 2016‚ 132‚000 Chinese tourists visited the country.

“Hong Kong is mostly repeat visitors” coming to Cape Town‚ South African Tourism Asia-Pacific president Bradley Brouwer told the Post. “We are also trusting that airlines will look at this lucrative [route] possibility sooner [rather] than later.”

The Hong Kong flights are another fillip to Cape Town Air Access‚ which is driven by the provincial trade and tourism agency‚ Wesgro‚ and claims to have increased international air arrivals in Cape Town by 27%.