There are many reasons to choose non-stop flights. Most importantly, you save time, avoid missed or delayed connections, lost luggage, added bureaucracy and lost time spent waiting in airports. For the traveller with limited downtime, the nonzero-stop flight is the way forward. The only downside is that these flight tickets can sometimes be more expensive than their connecting flights. layover counterparts.
Everything unpleasant and annoying about modern air travel is basically eliminated through a non-stop flight. You get on the flight, have a drink, eat something, go to sleep and wake up while landing at your destination of choice with no time for your luggage to have gone missing. The best thing about a non-stop flight is that you get to enjoy a drink and meal, take a nap, and wake up at your destination feeling more refreshed than most, with all your luggage intact.
South Africa is quite far from a number of popular international destinations, however, there are a surprising number of exciting non-stop direct flights from South Africa non-stop flight destinations for the traveller travellers with limited holiday time. This is travel at its most efficient and enjoyable. There is no better way to maximise your holiday time than by reaching your destination as quickly as possible.
Currently, Singapore Airlines holds the title for the longest non-stop flight in the world, flying from Singapore to Newark in just under 19 hours. The longest non-stop direct flight from South Africa is from Johannesburg to Atlanta in 16 hours and 30 minutes, via Delta Airlines.
What is the difference between a non-stop flight and a direct flight?
A direct flight may stop in another city for passengers to disembark and others to join the flight or to refuel, however, the flight code stays the same for the entirety of the journey. Sometimes you’ll need to disembark the plane with your hand luggage; other times you can stay on the plane.
A non-stop flight means just that. You fly from one airport to another airport without a single stop. While international non-stop flights from South Africa are difficult to come by, more recently, many airlines have launched non-stop flights from South Africa to popular countries like China, Germany, France, Italy, Australia, the UK and the UAE. Some of these flights are seasonal, only operating during peak travel seasons.
What is a connecting flight?
A connecting flight involves two flights with different flight numbers to reach your final destination. While waiting for your connecting flight you may have a layover which typically lasts as short as 30 minutes or as long as 23 hours. Or you may experience a stopover if you have to wait longer than 24 hours in any given city when travelling internationally. Some airlines, like Turkish Airlines and Etihad, offer free stopover deals where you can enjoy the sights and sounds of the city without needing a visa!
Find out how to make long layovers more enjoyable, and get clued up on what to do if you miss your connecting flight.
Non-stop, direct flights from Johannesburg
There are 24 international non-stop direct flights from Johannesburg, meaning you can travel to some amazing places around the world without needing a single stopover!
| Destination | Airline | Duration |
| Abu Dhabi | Etihad Airlines | 8h20 |
| Amsterdam | KLM | 11h10 |
| Atlanta | Delta Airlines | 16h30 |
| Doha | Qatar | 8h50 |
| Dubai | Emirates | 8h |
| Frankfurt | Lufthansa, SAA | 10h40 |
| Guangzhou | SAA | 13h40 |
| Hong Kong | Cathay Pacific, SAA | 12h45 |
| Istanbul | Turkish Airlines | 9h50 |
| Jeddah | Saudia Airlines | 6h50 |
| London | Virgin Atlantic, British Airways, SAA | 11h10 |
| Madrid | Iberia | 10h35 |
| Mauritius | SAA, BA Comair, Air Mauritius | 3h50 |
| Munich | SAA | 10h50 |
| New York | SAA | 15h40 |
| Paris | Air France | 10h45 |
| Perth | SAA | 9h |
| Reunion | Air Austral | 3h50 |
| Rome | Alitalia | 10h15 |
| Sao Paulo | SAA, LATAM | 10h30 |
| Seychelles | Air Seychelles | 4h55 |
| Singapore | Singapore Airlines | 10h25 |
| Sydney | Qantas | 11h45 |
| Tel Aviv | El Al Israel Airlines | 8h45 |
| Zurich | SWISS | 10h45 |
If you’re thinking of travelling locally, there are more than 35 regional direct flights from Johannesburg to wonderful destinations around Africa.
| Destination | Airline | Duration |
| Accra | SAA | 6h15 |
| Addis Ababa | Ethiopian Airways | 5h15 |
| Antananarivo | Airlink, Air Madagascar | 3h |
| Beira | Airlink | 1h40 |
| Bulawayo | SAA, Airlink | 1h20 |
| Cairo | EgyptAir | 7h50 |
| Dakar | SAA | 8h25 |
| Dar Es Salam | SAA, Air Tanzania | 3h20 |
| Entebbe | SAA | 4h |
| Gaborone | Airlink, SA Express, Air Botswana | 1h |
| Harare | SAA, BA Comair, Fastjet, Airlink | 1h35 |
| Kasane | Airlink | 1h45 |
| Kigali | RwandAir | 3h40 |
| Kinshasa | SAA | 3h50 |
| Lagos | SAA, ASKY Airlines | 6h10 |
| Libreville | Ethiopian Airways, ASKY Airlines | 5h |
| Lilongwe | SAA, Malawi Airlines | 2h20 |
| Livingstone | BA Comair, SAA | 1h40 |
| Luanda | SAA, TAAG | 3h30 |
| Lubumbashi | SAA | 2h20 |
| Lusaka | SAA, RwandAir, Airlink | 2h |
| Manzini | Airlink | 0h50 |
| Maputo | LAM Mozambique Airlines, SAA | 1h |
| Maseru | SAA | 0h55 |
| Maun | Airlink, Air Botswana | 1h40 |
| Nairobi | Kenya, SAA | 4h |
| Nampula | Airlink | 2h30 |
| Ndola | Airlink | 2h10 |
| Nosy Be | Airlink | 3h30 |
| Pemba | Airlink | 2h50 |
| St Helena | Airlink | TBC |
| Tete | Airlink, LAM Mozambique Airlines | 2h10 |
| Victoria Falls | BA Comair, SAA | 1h40 |
| Vilanculos | Airlink | 1h40 |
| Walvis Bay | Airlink | 2h20 |
| Windhoek | BA Comair, SAA, Air Namibia | 2h |
| Zanzibar | Mango | 3h35 |
Non-stop direct flights from Cape Town
Capetonians also have their fair share of 14 international destinations with non-stop, direct flights from Cape Town.
| Destination | Airline | Duration |
| Amsterdam | KLM | 11h40 |
| Doha | Qatar | 10h15 |
| Dubai | Emirates | 9h25 |
| Frankfurt | *Lufthansa | 11h55 |
| Hong Kong | Cathay Pacific | 13h50 |
| Istanbul | Turkish Airlines | 11h |
| London | British Airways | 12h |
| Mauritius | Air Mauritius | 5h15 |
| Munich | SAA, *Lufthansa | 11h30 |
| New York | **United Airlines | 16h |
| Paris | Air France | 11h55 |
| Vienna | *Austrian Airlines | 11h30 |
| Zurich | *Edelweiss Air | 11h25 |
*Flights are season dependent.
**Flights to New York on United Airlines are available from 15 December.
Keep it local and choose between these 12 regional routes with non-stop flights from Cape Town.
| Destination | Airline | Duration |
| Addis Ababa | Ethiopian | 6h25 |
| Gaborone | Air Botswana | 2h |
| Harare | RwandAir | 3h20 |
| Livingstone | Kenya Airways | 2h50 |
| Luanda | TAAG, SAA | 4h |
| Maun | Air Botswana, Airlink, SAA | 2h45 |
| Nairobi | Kenya Airways | 5h45 |
| St Helena | *Airlink | TBC |
| Victoria Falls | Kenya Airways, Airlink | 2h45 |
| Walvis Bay | Air Namibia, SA Express | 2h10 |
| Windhoek | Air Namibia, Airlink, SA Express | 2h5 |
* Flights to St Helena on Airlink are season dependent.
Non-stop direct flights from Durban
While there aren’t many non-stop direct flights from Durban, the most popular routes include:
| Destination | Airline | Duration |
| Doha | Qatar | 11h |
| Dubai | Emirates, SAA | 8h20 |
| Gaborone | Air Namibia | 1h20 |
| Istanbul | Turkish Airlines | 12h20 |
| London | British Airways | 12h10 |
| Lusaka | Proflight Zambia | 2h30 |
| Mauritius | Air Mauritius | 3h50 |
| Windhoek | Air Namibia | 3h20 |
Next time you think about booking a flight from South Africa, consider these non-stop direct flights from Cape Town, Johannesburg or Durban. While they might cost you a bit extra, just think about how much time you’ll save sitting on an aeroplane, when you could be sitting on the beach in Mauritius, or wandering around the gorgeous streets of Paris.
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