New flight routes for passengers in South Africa

Low-cost carriers FlySafair and Airlink are adding new routes for passengers in South Africa.

Airlink has launched its first direct flight between Cape Town and Maputo, starting 31 August 2022, while FlySafair will add a new route between Johannesburg and Bloemfontein from 16 September.

The FlySafair flight between Joburg and Bloemfontein will operate twice weekly, while the Airlink Cape Town-Maputo flight will initially operate three times a week.

“This new route also supports Airlink’s strategy to grow and develop its network and schedule of flights connecting Cape Town with other key business and tourism destinations throughout Southern Africa,” the group said.

Mozambique is an important market for Airlink, which currently provides flights from Johannesburg to Maputo, Beira, Nampula, Pemba, Tete and Vilanculos (which Airlink also serves directly from Mbombela/Nelspruit).

Airlink said that it will also resume scheduled services between Johannesburg and Richards Bay from 19 September 2022 following a 20-month hiatus.

The additional flight routes come months after Comair, the South African partner of British Airways and owner of low-cost carrier Kulula, applied for liquidation in June, leaving an unfilled gap in the market.

FlySafair previously said that it would look to expand its routes following the liquidation, including links to capital cities such as Nairobi, Lusaka and Maputo alongside holiday destinations including Victoria Falls and Zanzibar.

The company will add an initial five new planes to the fleet by early 2023, it said.

Airlink, meanwhile, is making an aggressive push to expand its network in South Africa, having signed a codeshare agreement with Middle-Eastern airline Qatar Airways – also in June.

The codeshare agreement will offer travellers more choice and improved connectivity between 45 destinations in 12 countries across southern Africa, Airlink said.

The group added that travellers will be able to purchase connecting flights on both airlines using one reservation.

Qatar Airways currently offers direct flights from Doha to Johannesburg 21 times weekly, Cape Town 10 times weekly, and Durban four times weekly.

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