New international flight for South Africa

South Africa’s international travellers will soon have new flights between Johannesburg and Harare, Zimbabwe, to choose from when Airlink launches three weekly flights out of Lanseria on 15 November.

According to the airline, bookings are already open for flights on this route, which will be the first-ever scheduled airline service between the privately owned airport and Zimbabwe’s capital city.

The new route aims to provide a convenient alternative point-to-point connection for people travelling from Lanseria International Airport, which is ideally located to serve both Gauteng and the North West.

It will also be the airline’s first scheduled service from the private airport, and will be operated by a single Embraer E190 aircraft, accommodating 98 passengers.

Seats are arranged to provide only window and aisle options, with no middle seats available on any Airlink flights, and enough space for six business-class flyers and 92 passengers in economy class.

De Villiers Engelbrecht, the airline’s CEO, explained that Johannesburg to Harare is one of the busiest routes in Southern Africa and saw demand averaging around 60,000 seats a month in 2025.

“A significant percentage of this market comprises people within Lanseria’s catchment area, and Airlink can better serve these customers by augmenting our existing services, which operate out of O.R. Tambo, with the new Lanseria flights,” he added.

Airlink’s flights between Johannesburg and Lanseria will operate on the following days, and at the following times, from Sunday, 15 November 2026:

These times are all local times, with no time zone difference between South Africa and neighbouring Zimbabwe.

South Africa’s international flight boom

Last month, Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille welcomed the decision made by two major international airlines to expand their flight offerings to and from South Africa.

Turkish Airlines, one of the world’s biggest airlines, announced its partnership with South African Airways (SAA) to expand regional and international routes to and from Johannesburg and Cape Town.

The agreement was signed last year and took effect in mid-July, enhancing connectivity between Africa, Türkiye, and several other global destinations.

These include regional destinations like Windhoek, Harare, Victoria Falls, and Mauritius, as well as overseas flights to Istanbul, Paris, London, and Frankfurt.

South African Airways Acting Group CEO, Matshela Seshibe, noted at the time that the agreement marks an important milestone for South Africa’s national carrier.

“It strengthens SAA’s global connectivity and provides our customers with enhanced travel options across key markets,” he said.

The Tourism Minister added that the agreement would expand to 20 weekly flights from October 2026, including 10 weekly direct flights between Istanbul and Johannesburg and 10 weekly direct flights between Istanbul and Cape Town.

She explained that the route expansion is the result of engagements between her department and the airline, and represents another vote of confidence in the local tourism sector.

“More flights mean more visitors, more trade, more investment, and ultimately, more jobs,” added De Lille.

Turkish Airlines is not the only major global carrier to expand its routes into South Africa, as several other airlines have done the same.

In June, Spanish carrier Air Europa launched its inaugural direct service between Madrid and Johannesburg, and Brazil’s LATAM Airlines also commenced three-weekly direct flights between São Paulo and Cape Town.