Spanish airline Air Europa will launch a new direct international flight between Madrid and Johannesburg starting 24 June, strengthening air links between South Africa and Europe.
The airline will operate three flights per week on the route using its Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, which are configured for long-haul international travel.
Air Europa to connect Johannesburg and Madrid
As per Travel News, Air Europa was granted approval to operate the route in October 2025, after Spain’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation opened and completed a process to allocate traffic rights between Spain and South Africa.
The approval allows Air Europa to operate up to three weekly flights, matching the schedule now being launched.
According to the schedule, flights from Madrid will depart on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays at 15:05, arriving in Johannesburg at 01:10 the following day.
Return flights will then leave Johannesburg on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 03:10, arriving at Madrid’s Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport at 13:20.
Madrid’s Barajas Airport is a major European hub, offering onward connections across Spain, Western Europe, and Latin America. The new service provides South African travellers with an alternative gateway into Europe, alongside existing options through cities such as London, Amsterdam, Frankfurt, and Paris.
The new service adds to growing competition on long-haul routes between South Africa and Europe, particularly as airlines look to expand capacity ahead of the northern hemisphere summer travel season.