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A number of airlines, including British Airways, have suspended passenger flights to and from South Africa, making it difficult for South Africans to travel abroad.

In all fairness, at this stage of the pandemic, with new variants emerging across the globe, we shouldn’t be travelling unless we really have to.

You can travel, but maybe give it a bit of thought before you do.

We also have a few of our own regulations in place.

If you do travel overseas, keep in mind that international air travel is restricted to OR Tambo International Airport, King Shaka International Airport, and Cape Town International Airport.

You will only be granted entry back into South Africa subject to the provision of a valid certificate of a negative COVID-19 test which has to be obtained not more than 72 hours before the date of travel.

On the continent, transit by land is prohibited with travel confined to air travel, until our borders are opened on February 15 (this could change, as with all COVID-19 regulations).

There are exceptions to these rules, which you can find on the SA Government website.

If you’re looking to book a flight abroad, here are your options via Business Insider SA:

• Qatar Airways – based in Doha, it’s still South Africa’s only link with the Middle East. You can also connect to destinations in Europe and Asia, in places where travel bans aren’t in place. More info, here.
• Ethiopian Airlines – Ethiopian Airlines has kept its routes open in South Africa since borders were opened in November 2020 and offer the most frequent flights in the country. More info, here.
• Air France – Air France is the only European airline on record that is still carrying passengers to and from South Africa. More info, here.
• Airlink – Airlink offers travel in South Africa as well as daily flights to Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia among others on the continent. More info, here.

Airlines that have extended their bans on travel to South Africa include Emirates, British Airways, and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines due in part to the new COVID-19 variant, 501.V2, which carries a mutation called E484K, or the “escape mutation”.

This makes it difficult for antibodies to attach themselves to the virus.

[sources:businessinsidersa&gov.org]