Virgin Atlantic Restarts Seasonal Cape Town Service and Adds More Flights for Winter 2026/27

Virgin Atlantic is reinforcing its commitment to Cape Town and the Western Cape with the restart of its seasonal London Heathrow service in October 2026, followed by additional weekly frequencies from December to meet strong customer demand.

The seasonal service recommenced on 15 October 2026, with flight VS478 departing London Heathrow for Cape Town. The return service, VS479, began operating on 16 October 2026, with both flights operated by Virgin Atlantic’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

Building on the resumption of the seasonal route, the airline will introduce four additional return flights a week from December 2026, offering customers greater flexibility when travelling between South Africa and the United Kingdom during the busy summer and winter holiday seasons.

The additional London Heathrow to Cape Town service, VS414, starts on 11 December 2026, operating on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays. The return service, VS415, starts on 12 December 2026, operating on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. These additional services will also be operated by Boeing 787-9 aircraft.

At peak, Virgin Atlantic’s Cape Town operation will increase to up to 11 flights per week, strengthening connections between the Western Cape and the UK while providing more options for both business and leisure travellers.

Marc Harding, Country Manager for South Africa at Virgin Atlantic, said:

“Cape Town is a great example of how we can respond to customer demand. We have continued to build our seasonal operation, and this winter we’re increasing capacity again, reinforcing our commitment to Cape Town and the Western Cape. We’re also responding to strong demand in Johannesburg, while continuing to invest in the customers, people and partnerships that have made these markets successful.”

Wrenelle Stander, CEO of Wesgro and Official Spokesperson of Cape Town Air Access, commented:

“Virgin Atlantic’s return to Cape Town, alongside additional flights from December, is a welcome vote of confidence in the Western Cape. Greater connectivity with London supports tourism, trade and investment, bringing more opportunities for businesses and visitors alike. We value our longstanding partnership with Virgin Atlantic and look forward to building on this momentum to grow international access to our region.”

The Boeing 787-9 offers customers a choice of Upper Class, Premium and Economy cabins, alongside Virgin Atlantic’s signature onboard hospitality. Customers can enjoy complimentary food and drink, an extensive selection of inflight entertainment and Wi-Fi connectivity throughout their journey.

The increased Cape Town frequencies complement Virgin Atlantic’s wider capacity growth in South Africa for the 2026/27 winter season, reflecting the airline’s continued investment in the market and its role in connecting South African travellers with the UK and onward destinations.

 For more information on flight schedules and bookings, please visit www.virginatlantic.com.