SAA joins Air Maroc, Egyptair, Ethiopian as African airlines flying into Washington Dulles

• South African Airways plans end-2026

South African Airways will by the end of 2026 join three African airlines currently operating direct flights between Africa and Washington Dulles International Airport, bringing the number to four. The United States airport is an important international hub, connecting the capital of the United States of America to destinations across the world, per this report by Simple Flying monitored by Business a.m.

According to Simple Flying, South African Airways will be resuming service to the city from Accra, Ghana, thus joining Royal Air Maroc, Egyptair, Ethiopian Airlines, and United Airlines as the only carriers to fly direct from Dulles to Africa.

The aviation information platform reports that this addition will not be the first time South African Airways has served Washington DC, but it does mark a key milestone in the airline’s efforts to turn around its fortunes, adding that only time will tell if this route will be a successful one, especially as South African pits itself against a much larger United Airlines.

SAA is returning to Washington Dulles

South African Airways is returning to Washington Dulles International Airport, according to a LinkedIn post made by John Lamola, its chief executive officer. The airline will serve the US city from its hub at Johannesburg International Airport, though the flight will stop in Accra, Ghana in each direction. The carrier aims to start service before the end of next year, and last served the market in 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic caused an unprecedented drop in demand for international travel.

Since the service pause, South African Airways has encountered some serious financial trouble, which the airline’s current leadership team is trying to emerge from. By strengthening the airline’s network and scope, Lamola hopes to make South African Airways a more important network carrier for the people of Africa. Accra will evidently be an important part of the airline’s turnaround, with Lamola writing on his LinkedIn post:

“Our engagements in Accra reaffirmed the city’s importance in our network, with plans to relaunch Washington, D.C. flights by late 2026.”

SAA one of four African airlines to serve Dulles

While this service is a major milestone for South African Airlines, it is the fourth African airline to serve Washington Dulles. In addition to the Johannesburg-based carrier, three other airlines provide nonstop connections to Africa from DC: Royal Air Maroc, Egyptair, and Ethiopian Airlines. South African will not compete directly with any of these carriers on its new route.

When combined with United Airlines, which operates a hub at Washington Dulles, the airport currently has an impressive 38 weekly flights to Africa. These services vary in aircraft size and frequency, but all provide crucial links to connect political and economic centers of different countries to the US. Some routes are served as often as daily, while some are only served thrice weekly.

Ethiopian Airlines is the African carrier with the largest presence at Dulles, followed by Royal Air Maroc and Egyptair. Each offers services to their African hubs with varying frequencies and available seats. According to Cirium, an aviation data analytics firm, the breakdown is as follows (based on December 2025):

United boasts strong African network from Dulles

United Airlines has a massive hub at Washington Dulles, so it’s not surprising that the carrier is the only US airline to connect the city with nonstop services to Africa. The airline flies from its east coast hub to Accra, Cape Town, Dakar, and Lagos. In addition to connecting these cities with the political center of the United States, United can also carry passengers onward to other destinations in its network.

While United and South African will both serve Accra, it is worth noting that South African’s service originates in Johannesburg, where United does not serve from Washington. So, even facing a large competitor, South African Airways still has a chance to find success in this market, though only time will tell if the route is economically viable in the long run.

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