Iberia has announced that it will cancel its Madrid-Johannesburg route from September, with the last flight operating on August 31. The airline says the route is not profitable.

Passengers with existing bookings will have the option of a refund or a re-routing on British Airways or other partner airlines.

Iberia’s announcement comes as TAP is due to enter the market later this year, as first reported by TU’s sister publication, eTNW.

TU understands that while TAP still intends to establish a Lisbon-Johannesburg route, the airline’s plans have been delayed due to the ongoing difficulties with the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft.