Algeria's national airline launches longest African route from Johannesburg

Air Algerie, Algeria's national airline, has inaugurated a new route to Johannesburg, South Africa, with two weekly non-stop flights from 21 September 2023.

The inauguration ceremony took place on 21 August 2023 at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and marks a milestone in the airline's expansion strategy, as reported by DepiMedia, a partner of TV BRICS.

The concept for this connection has been in development for some time and is an important part of Air Algerie's overall plan to expand its route network.

Departures from Algiers will be on Sundays and Thursdays, with return flights on Mondays and Thursdays using Airbus A330 aircraft.

Algiers Airport, an important destination in North Africa, neighbours with OR Tambo Airport, a key aviation hub in Southern Africa. Remarkably, this route has not yet been operated by any carrier, demonstrating Air Algerie's unique position as an exclusive operator for the foreseeable future.

According to Air Algerie spokesperson Amine Andaloussi, this venture is an exciting development. Despite Air Algerie's limited presence in sub-Saharan Africa, the ALG-PEK route will be the longest on the African continent at 4,619 miles (7,433 kilometres).

This will make it the second longest route in the carrier's network, behind only ALG-PEK (5,671 miles) and ahead of ALG-YUL (3,909 miles).

Although Algeria is among South Africa's main trading partners in North Africa, the tourist flows between the two countries have been relatively moderate. The JNB-ALG route is therefore expected to be frequented mainly by transit passengers seeking non-stop flights.

Air Algerie's flagship airline offers over 15 connection options for travellers heading to Asia, Europe and North America.