Airlink to launch first ever non-stop Cape Town-Zanzibar service.

Airlink to launch first ever non-stop Cape Town-Zanzibar service.

18 May 2026, Johannesburg – Airlink, Southern Africa’s premier airline will launch the first-ever non-stop Cape Town-Zanzibar route in October 2026 with its brand new Embraer E195-E2 jets.

Bookings are now open for flights on the route, which will operate weekly to and from the Indian Ocean island renowned for its spices, beaches, marine life, resorts and historical, UNESCO-listed Stone Town, which dates back hundreds of years to the island’s historical role in the spice trade.

This will be Airlink’s second route to the increasingly popular destination and follows the imminent start of its Johannesburg-Zanzibar services on 03 June 2026.

Customers currently holding Airlink tickets for Cape Town-Johannesburg-Zanzibar flights will be able to switch their bookings to the non-stop direct flight at no extra charge, irrespective of the fare class booked provided it’s in the same cabin. For bookings made on Airlink’s website, customers should contact Airlink Reservations. Travel agents who wish to change their customers bookings should call the Airlink Contact Centre.

Airlink will operate its brand new, state-of-the-art Embraer E195-E2 flagship aircraft on the new Zanzibar service. They accommodate 124 passengers in a 2-class cabin configuration with only window and aisle seats – there are no middle seats on any Airlink flights.

“The introduction of our new flagship aircraft, the E195-E2, with its innovative business class and comfortable economy seats, enables Airlink to bring destinations such as Zanzibar within convenient non-stop reach of Cape Town, which is an important source market for travel to the island. Cape Town is also our second hub and a popular connecting point for long-haul, regional and local customers travelling with Airlink or any of our partner airlines from around the world,” said de Villiers Engelbrecht, Airlink CEO.

Flights to the increasingly popular island, which will have a flying time of just over six hours, will operate on Saturdays at these times from 03 October 2026

This schedule is designed for leisure travellers to maximise their fun time on the island without disruptive middle-of-the-night or pre-dawn departures or arrivals.

Besides its increasing popularity as a tourist destination, Zanzibar’s flourishing economy – driven by agriculture, manufacturing, marine services as well as offshore oil and gas exploration - is also seeing it emerge as a magnet for investors and business travellers.

Zanzibar’s adoption of an efficient new online electronic visa application system and the alternative option of obtaining visas on arrival, is also contributing to Zanzibar’s popularity.

Onboard Airlink flights, customers will be treated to complimentary meals and refreshments. Airlink’s cabin configuration provides generous leg-room All Airlink customers are also entitled to a 15kg sporting equipment allowance, in addition to 20kg free luggage allowance for discounted economy class tickets, and 30kg allocated for full-fare economy travellers.

To plan, book and manage Airlink journeys, customers should visit www.flyairlink.com, download the FlyAirlink smartphone app, or contact their travel agents. For re-bookings, ticketholders should call Airlink’s Reservations Support Desk on +27 11 451 7300 to speak to an agent or their travel agent for the necessary authorisations