LATAM Brasil to launch São Paulo <> Cape Town flights in September 2026!

update (17 June 2026): LATAM Brasil has confirmed that its new direct route between São Paulo and Cape Town will launch on 02 July 2026. The Boeing 787-9 service will operate three times weekly, becoming the first direct Cape Town–South America route operated by a South American airline. LATAM has also extended the route in its reservation systems through the end of 2026, signalling strong confidence in demand between South Africa and Brazil.

update (03 December 2025): LATAM Brasil has released the schedule of its nonstop service between São Paulo and Cape Town. Effective July 2026 (!), flights will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays (São Paulo > Cape Town) and on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays (Cape Town > São Paulo). It will be served by a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, with 30 business-class seats and 270 economy seats.
Flight LA8060 will depart São Paulo at 22:45 and arrive in Cape Town at 10:55 the following day, while flight LA8061 will depart Cape Town at 15:50 and arrive in São Paulo at 20:00.
The new service will offer connections from São Paulo to more than 60 destinations in Brazil, and over 120 throughout the region. 

Great news for travellers between South America and Southern Africa! LATAM Brasil – the Brazilian arm of the LATAM Airlines Group – has announced that it will launch a brand-new nonstop service between São Paulo and Cape Town in September 2026. The route will initially operate three times per week, offering a much-needed boost in connectivity between Brazil and South Africa’s Mother City.

According to LATAM Brasil, the new intercontinental route will be operated with the airline’s modern Boeing 787 Dreamliner fleet, offering a quieter cabin, improved fuel efficiency, and an enhanced passenger experience. The launch further strengthens the carrier’s growing long-haul network and expands its presence in Africa, complementing the existing service between São Paulo and Johannesburg.

For travellers, the upcoming São Paulo <> Cape Town flights will significantly reduce travel time between the two cities and create new opportunities for tourism, trade, and business. Cape Town's popularity as a global leisure destination continues to rise, while São Paulo remains one of the most important cultural and economic hubs in Latin America.

LATAM Brasil’s announcement comes at a time of renewed interest in South American–African connectivity. The airline already partners with Airlink through an interline and codeshare agreement, allowing seamless travel to destinations across Southern Africa. The new Cape Town service will further enhance these connections and provide an attractive option for travellers looking for easy links between Brazil, South Africa, and beyond.

More details - including schedules, frequencies, and ticket sales - are expected to be released closer to the launch date.

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LATAM Airlines Brasil and Airlink expand codeshare agreement!

LATAM Airlines Brasil, the Brazilian subsidiary of the LATAM Airlines Group - Latin America's largest airline - has expanded its unilateral codeshare partnership with South African regional carrier, Airlink. This enhanced agreement now includes four additional destinations for connecting flights through Johannesburg, South Africa. These new destinations are Harare (Zimbabwe), Maputo (Mozambique), Windhoek (Namibia), and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania).
This extended codeshare builds on the initial agreement launched in November 2024. Under the agreement, LATAM Airlines can offer flights operated by Airlink under LATAM's flight codes, improving travel connectivity throughout South Africa. The initial codeshare covered key domestic routes within South Africa from Johannesburg, including Cape Town, Durban, Hoedspruit, and Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth).

Earlier, in May 2023, LATAM Brasil and Airlink had introduced an interline agreement, allowing LATAM passengers to access over 40 destinations across Africa through Airlink's extensive network. This agreement facilitated smoother connections through Johannesburg, particularly after LATAM launched its São Paulo <> Johannesburg route in September 2023.

LATAM Airlines is currently the only Brazilian carrier operating direct flights to Africa. The airline runs four weekly flights between São Paulo and Johannesburg on a Boeing 787-9 aircraft, offering a 9-hour journey with a capacity of 300 passengers, divided into three classes: 30 in Premium Business, 57 in Premium Economy, and 213 in Economy.

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Airlink & LATAM Airlines have signed an interline agreement!

South African regional carrier Airlink and the largest airline in Latin America, LATAM Airlines, have signed a new interline agreement. The agreement becomes effective on 02 September 2023 (04 September 2023?) when LATAM resumes flying from São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) in São Paulo (Brazil) and OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg after a pause of more than three years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through the agreement, LATAM passengers will be able to access 47 destinations in 14 African countries and St Helena Island.
An Interline agreement between airlines allows passengers to change from one flight on one airline to another flight on another airline without having to gather their bags or check-in again.

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Brazil: LATAM Airlines is planning to return to South Africa! [update #3]

update (08 September 2023): LATAM Airlines (Brazil) returned to Johannesburg on 02 September 2023. The airline operates three weekly flights on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (GRU > JNB) and on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays (JNB > GRU) on board a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. LATAM is currently the only carrier operating flights between Brazil and South Africa. From the end of next month, South African Airways will operate flights between Cape Town and São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) in São Paulo (Brazil) and from early November 2023 between Johannesburg and São Paulo.

update (22 May 2023): LATAM is will launch fligths between São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) in São Paulo (Brazil) and OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg on 04 September 2023 and will operate three weekly flights.

• São Paulo 17:25 > 08:10+1 Johannesburg on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays
• Johannesburg 12:50 > 18:55 São Paulo on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays

update (28 March 2023): According to aviation specialist SimpleFlying, LATAM Airlines (Brazil) has postponed resuming its long-haul flight between São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) in São Paulo (Brazil) and OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg from 03 August 2023 to 02 September 2023 due to untold reasons.

The largest airline in Latin America, LATAM Airlines, is planning to return to South Africa. The airline is set to resume flights between São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) in São Paulo (Brazil) and OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg from July 2023. LATAM Airlines Brazil, the Brazilian brand of LATAM Airlines Group, is planning to operate three weekly return flights on board a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to Johannesburg.
LATAM Airlines stopped its operations in South Africa following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, LATAM was the only airline operating direct flights between South America and South Africa.

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