ISTANBUL

Türkiye's flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, on Friday announced that it signed a codeshare agreement with South African Airways, the flag carrier of South Africa, covering joint flights that will begin on March 1, 2026.

The agreement was signed at a ceremony held in Geneva by Ahmet Bolat, chairman of Turkish Airlines, and John Lamola, CEO of South African Airways, according to a statement from Turkish Airlines.

Bolat said that as the flag carriers of the two countries, they are offering their passengers the opportunity to benefit from more comprehensive travel options, adding that he believes the cooperation will not remain limited to the commercial realm but will also bring significant gains to the deep-rooted cultural and tourism relations between the countries.

Lamola, for his part, described the agreement as a strategic step toward expanding reliable and competitive air travel for their passengers.

He said Turkish Airlines is a well-regarded global carrier, and this partnership highlights the two sides’ shared commitment to improving connectivity between Africa and Türkiye while supporting tourism, trade and sustainable economic growth.

With the codeshare agreement set to begin on March 1, 2026, the aim is to deepen commercial cooperation between the two carriers and offer more travel alternatives to the passengers of both airlines.

Under the agreement, South African Airways will codeshare on Johannesburg-Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth, Windhoek, Harare, Victoria Falls and Mauritius routes, while Turkish Airlines will codeshare on Istanbul-Johannesburg, Cape Town, Durban, Frankfurt, Paris, and London routes.