London to Cape Town (LGW–CPT) — Airlines, Schedules & Connections

LGW Airport Page →
5,992 mi airlines charter/private 1/wk
On-time Some delays Frequent delays
Connecting Flight Schedule 12 1-stop flights Verified 1w ago
Nonstop Charter / private 1-Stop 2-Stop Hide separate tickets Hide overnight Hide codeshares
  Flight Airline AC Dep Arr Dur OTP Sched  
✈ Nonstop

No flights match your filters.

No scheduled airline flights on this route — it's flown by charter / private operators (). No nonstop flights on this route. connecting options below.

✦ 1-Stop connections via 10 hubs
AMS Amsterdam 13h 25m U2 KLSK Amsterdam (AMS) to Cape Town flights
LHR London 14h 50m EY BA London (LHR) to Cape Town flights
FRA Frankfurt am Main 16h 55m DE LHNH Frankfurt am Main (FRA) to Cape Town flights
IST Istanbul 17h 10m 3U6EBR 6ETK Istanbul (IST) to Cape Town flights
DXB Dubai 18h 10m EKFI DEEKSA Dubai (DXB) to Cape Town flights
MRU Plaine Magnien 23h 25m BAMK AIMKSA Plaine Magnien (MRU) to Cape Town flights
DOH Doha 24h 19m BAQRVA ASATAY Doha (DOH) to Cape Town flights
ZRH Zurich 25h 15m LXU2 WK Zurich (ZRH) to Cape Town flights
ADD Addis Ababa 25h 50m ET A3AIET Addis Ababa (ADD) to Cape Town flights
NBO Nairobi 34h 10m KQUX KQ Nairobi (NBO) to Cape Town flights
1-STOP More options, longer trips
2-STOP Loading... Reach the hardest destinations
London to Cape Town
Connecting service available through multiple hubs.
1 Airlines 5,992 mi 11h 30m nonstop +1h ahead

LGW–CPT had nonstop service from Norse Atlantic UK Ltd, last on the schedule in June 2026. There's no nonstop on it right now, so today you'd fly it with one stop. The connecting options below are sorted by layover. Nonstop, it's about 5,992 miles in 11h 30m.

Airline Landscape

Carriers that operated nonstop LGW–CPT service, compared side by side.
Airline Freq/wk Aircraft Duration Dep OTP Alliance Codeshares
Z0 Norse Atlantic UK Ltd 1
Alliance coverage
Unaffiliated: Z0 (1 flights/wk, 100%)
OTP based on airport-level delay snapshots. Duration ranges reflect seasonal/directional variation.

Connection Landscape

1-stop and 2-stop options for LGW to CPT.
1-STOP
One-Stop Connections
12
Hubs
~13h
Fastest
~34h
Longest
Verified with published schedule alignment and minimum connection time.
2-STOP
Two-Stop Connections
938
Candidates
Two-stop connections loaded in the connections tab above.
Connections computed from published schedules with minimum connection time verification. Use the interactive explorer above the fold to filter by airline, tier, and layover time.

Other ways to reach Cape Town from London

Nearby airports with service to Cape Town International Airport.
Metric LGW→CPT LHR→CPT
Distance from LGW 25 mi
Nonstop airlines 7
Weekly flights 7
Flight time 11h 30m 11h 30m
Airports within 200 miles of LGW with service to Cape Town International Airport.

Travel Essentials

Practical planning for this route.
Time Difference
+1h
Cape Town is 1 hour ahead of London.
LGW: BST · CPT: SAST

When it's 6:00 PM in London, it's 7:00 PM in Cape Town.
Distance & Flight Time
5,992 mi / 9,642 km
Nonstop flight time is approximately 11h 30m gate to gate.
Visa & Entry

British passport holders enter South Africa visa-free for up to 90 days. No fee, no advance application. Passport must be valid for at least 30 days beyond the intended departure date with at least two blank pages (South Africa is strict about the blank pages rule and will deny boarding or entry without them).

You need a return or onward ticket. Immigration at O.R. Tambo (JNB), Cape Town (CPT), or King Shaka (DUR) airports issues a visitor's visa stamp on arrival. Extensions are possible through the Department of Home Affairs but must be filed before the 90 days expire. If traveling with children under 18, carry a full unabridged birth certificate showing both parents' names. South Africa enforces this requirement and airlines check before boarding.

Direct flights from London Heathrow to Johannesburg run about 11 hours, to Cape Town about 11 hours 30 minutes. British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, and South African Airways operate the routes. The South African rand (ZAR) trades at roughly 18.5 ZAR per $1. No vaccination requirements for UK arrivals on direct flights. Yellow fever vaccination is mandatory if arriving from or transiting through an endemic country (common on routings via East Africa). Take malaria prophylaxis for Kruger and Limpopo province; it is not needed for Cape Town, Johannesburg, or the Garden Route.

Getting to LGW

The Gatwick Express runs non-stop from London Victoria to the South Terminal in 30 minutes, with trains every 15 minutes (from £21.50 one-way; advance fares cheaper online). Thameslink trains from London Bridge, Blackfriars, City Thameslink, and Farringdon are slower (35–45 min) but significantly cheaper; often £10–13 on Oyster or contactless. Southern trains also serve the route.National coaches (National Express, Megabus) connect Gatwick to Victoria Coach Station for £6–15. Taxis from central London cost £70–100+ depending on traffic. Driving via M23 and A23 takes 35–60 minutes; multi-storey car parks are directly connected to both terminals by a 2-minute monorail shuttle.

LGW–CPT Quick Facts

Key statistics for the London to Cape Town route.
Route details
Distance5,992 mi / 9,642 km
Flight time11h 30m
Time difference+1 hour
Airlines (nonstop)1
1-stop connectionsAvailable
Origin: LGW
IATA / ICAOLGW / EGKK
TimezoneEurope/London
Passengers/yr43.2M
Elevation202 ft / 62 m
Destination: CPT
IATA / ICAOCPT / FACT
TimezoneAfrica/Johannesburg
Passengers/yr10.4M
Elevation151 ft / 46 m

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about LGW to CPT flights.
Nonstop flights from London Gatwick Airport to Cape Town International Airport take about 11h 30m gate to gate. The route covers 5,992 miles.
1 airline operated the nonstop from LGW to CPT: Norse Atlantic UK Ltd. The last scheduled nonstop was in June 2026. There's no nonstop right now, so today you'd fly it with one stop. See the connection options above, ranked by layover.
Not right now. The last scheduled nonstop was in June 2026. You can still fly it with one stop, and the connecting options above are sorted by layover. Nonstop, the hop took about 11h 30m.
Yes, 1-stop connections are available, ranked by layover time. Common connecting points include Amsterdam, London Heathrow and Frankfurt Main.
Cape Town is 1 hour ahead of London.
Yes, return flights from CPT to LGW are available. Use the direction toggle at the top to view the return schedule.
Nearby alternatives include LHR. See the Alternatives section for a full comparison.
Click the 'Search Flights' button to check availability and prices on Google Flights. You can also compare airlines and schedules on this page to find the best option.
Route data is updated regularly from official airline schedules. On-time performance data comes from recent airport delay snapshots.

Flights from LGW to CPT

London Gatwick Airport (LGW) and Cape Town International Airport (CPT) had nonstop service from Norse Atlantic UK Ltd, last on the schedule in June 2026. The nonstop is dormant right now, so the way to fly it today is one connection, and the options above are sorted by layover.

LGW to CPT Flight Duration and Schedule

Nonstop flight time from LGW to CPT is about 11 hours 30 minutes gate to gate. The route covers a distance of 5,992 miles (9,642 km).

Connecting Options and Alternatives

1-stop connecting options are also available, commonly via Amsterdam, London Heathrow and Frankfurt Main. Two-stop connections are also available via intermediate hubs. Nearby alternative airports include London (LHR).