Emirates Airlines and South African Airways are deepening their nearly 30-year partnership with plans for a fully reciprocal codeshare agreement ahead of the holiday travel season.

The airlines said the move aims to enhance connectivity for passengers and increase traffic across both carriers’ networks.

South African Airways shared this update in a statement, according The PUNCH.

Under a codeshare agreement, airlines can sell seats on each other’s flights through a business partnership.

When fully leveraged, codeshare agreements allow passengers to travel on a single ticket, making connections smoother and more convenient.

According to the statement, under the enhanced arrangement, Emirates passengers will be able to book single-ticket itineraries with seamless baggage transfers from Johannesburg to three domestic destinations, Cape Town, Durban, and Gqeberha, as well as 13 additional cities across Africa, including Abidjan, Accra, Dar es Salaam, Kinshasa, Windhoek, Lagos, Lusaka, Harare, Lubumbashi, Victoria Falls, and Mauritius.

The statement highlighted that “the new agreement, signed during the 2025 Dubai Airshow, will enable Emirates to access more feeder traffic from South Africa and the surrounding region, while boosting long-haul flows from key markets like the UK and the US. It builds on an existing partnership through which SAA customers already connect to Emirates’ expanding Dubai schedule, soon set to offer 56 weekly flights and access to 68 global destinations via interline connections.”

According to both airlines, over 45,000 travellers have benefited from the partnership since January.

The agreement was formalised by Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer, Adnan Kazim, and SAA Group Chief Executive Officer, Prof. John Lamola.

Kazim stated that the collaboration has been a key part of Emirates’ Africa strategy since 1997.

“Our collaboration has created reliable connectivity for passengers to explore more of the globe with simplified, seamless travel. South Africa remains a cornerstone of our African network and one of the most consistently busy routes we serve,” Kazim said.

Lamola called the agreement a milestone in the carriers’ 28-year partnership.

He said, “It reflects South African Airways’ commitment to delivering seamless connectivity for our customers and strengthening South Africa’s position as a key aviation hub.

“By expanding our collaboration, we are unlocking greater travel and trade opportunities across Africa and globally, ensuring that our passengers benefit from world-class service and convenience.”