IAG Cargo will launch a London Gatwick-Cape Town flight on November 24, 2016.

The new flight will be operated three times per week by British Airways, using a Boeing 777-200ER.

British Airways already flies between to Cape Town and Johannesburg from Heathrow, and Iberia is scheduled to start thrice-weekly Madrid-Johannesburg flights with an Airbus A330-300 on August 1, 2016.

According to IAG Cargo, the additional service will benefit the African perishables market, particularly mangoes, avocadoes, pineapples and flowers.

“We now offer an outstanding proposition into and out of South Africa, providing businesses with enhanced flexibility over where and when they ship their goods,” said David Shepherd, head of commercial at IAG Cargo. “Connecting through IAG Cargo’s Madrid hub, the forthcoming Johannesburg route will help to better link Africa with strategic markets, such as Latin America, while the new Cape Town-Gatwick route offers unrivalled access to Europe, North America and Asia-Pacific.”

With the new flight, IAG Cargo will offer a total of 27 flights and 440 tonnes of capacity per week to South Africa.

Details of the new flight are as follows.