Air France and KLM are set to resume their commercial South African flight schedule from October 1, 2020.

This follows the announcement from President Cyril Ramaphosa on September 16 that South Africa will be entering lockdown level one and restrictions on international travel will be eased.

“We are very happy with the announcement by President Cyril Ramaphosa that scheduled flights can resume shortly. Now that the borders are open again, we are very excited to resume commercial operations to and from Johannesburg and Cape Town,” said Wouter Vermeulen, gm: Southern African Region at Air France KLM.

He added that these flights would operate in the same manner as the repatriation process, with thorough safety measures in place both on the ground and on-board the aircraft. Passengers and crew will be required to wear a mask for the duration of the flight, flight attendants will have additional hand sanitisers on board and the airlines will ensure ample sanitisation of the aircraft so that passengers and crew feel safe during their flight and have peace of mind.

“Now that we are allowed to take to the skies for commercial flights, we look forward to welcoming our passengers back on board and to contribute toward the revival and success of the aviation business and tourism industry in South Africa,” said Wouter.

Commercial policy

When international commercial aviation restarts, passengers who have booked a repatriation ticket with Air France or KLM, and who may not have flown or used their ticket yet, will be able to use the full value of the ticket and buy commercial tickets. Passengers who hold a commercial ticket will be able to use the value of their tickets on commercial flights.

Travel vouchers issued by Air France and KLM during the crisis are valid for a future flight booking and the added value will be up to 15%, depending on the price of the new ticket and actual dates of booking and travel. Customers who redeem their travel voucher for a new ticket with a higher total fare than the original voucher amount will receive an added value from Air France and KLM of up to 15% of the voucher amount.

In case of flight cancellations made by Air France or KLM, customers will still be able to choose between rebooking on a commercial flight, a voucher or a cash refund for their flight. Customers who already received a voucher and wish to opt for a cash refund, can do so.

Schedule as per 1 October 2020 – Air France

Schedule as per 1 October 2020 – KLM

*Denotes European Summer timing