This will mean an additional 14 040 seats in and out of the Mother City over the five months from October to March, capacity that Lin Glass, British Airways General Manager for South Africa, Mauritius and the Seychelles, is confident will be filled.

"All the indicators point to a good summer season. Tourism growth has been steady and the recent security alerts in the UK and US are unlikely to inhibit this. In fact we know from past experience that in times of uncertainty, South Africa tends to be perceived as a safe haven for holidaymakers."

She also says that South Africa should also already be benefiting from a World Cup dividend, which is helping to boost the country’s international profile.

Outbound travel is also robust, with forward bookings for the next few months still up on last year’s figures, despite the recent security alert in the UK.

"We did have some cancellations... but fewer than we expected. Add this to the forward booking figures and it appears that South African travellers are showing their usual resilience and continuing to travel despite the heightened security in the UK and United States."

The two additional services mean that from October British Airways will operate double-services from London to both Cape Town and Johannesburg.

Glass says this is the schedule that the airline has sought for some time.

"It makes operational sense, but more importantly is convenient schedule for our customers who know there are two flights into and out of South Africa’s two largest airports and Heathrow every day."