Airlink bets on Zanzibar boom with first-ever non-stop Cape Town service

May 18, 2026 in Business, Companies, Travel & Tourism by Editor

Airlink will launch the first-ever direct flights between Cape Town and Zanzibar in October 2026, betting on the island’s booming tourism sector and growing reputation as an emerging investment and business destination.

 

Southern African carrier Airlink is set to launch the first-ever direct flights between Cape Town and Zanzibar, marking another sign of East Africa’s growing pull as both a tourism hotspot and business destination.

The airline announced that the weekly non-stop service will begin on October 3, 2026, using its new-generation Embraer E195-E2 aircraft. Bookings for the route are already open.

The move deepens Airlink’s expansion into the Indian Ocean leisure market and comes just months after the carrier begins its new Johannesburg-Zanzibar flights scheduled for June 3, 2026.

Airlink Chief Executive Officer de Villiers Engelbrecht said the airline was leveraging its new fleet to connect Cape Town directly to destinations that previously required stopovers through larger hubs.

“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,” Engelbrecht said.

The airline believes Cape Town is becoming an increasingly important feeder market for Zanzibar-bound travellers, particularly long-haul tourists arriving from Europe and other international destinations through the South African city.

The new route also reflects Zanzibar’s rapid rise beyond traditional tourism. While the island remains famous for its beaches, marine attractions and the UNESCO-listed Stone Town, officials and airlines alike are increasingly positioning it as an emerging commercial gateway.

Airlink noted that Zanzibar’s economy is diversifying through agriculture, manufacturing, marine services and offshore oil and gas exploration, helping attract investors and business travellers alongside holidaymakers.

The Saturday flights will depart Cape Town at 8:15am and arrive in Zanzibar at 2:30pm local time, before returning at 3:30pm and landing back in Cape Town at 8:50pm. The airline said the daytime scheduling was intentionally designed to maximise leisure time while avoiding overnight departures.

The new service will be operated using Airlink’s 124-seat Embraer E195-E2 jets configured with business and economy cabins. The aircraft feature a two-by-two seating arrangement, eliminating middle seats entirely.

The route also highlights intensifying competition among African carriers targeting intra-African tourism and regional connectivity, a market long constrained by indirect routings and limited direct links between key cities.

For Zanzibar, the addition of direct access from South Africa’s tourism capital could further boost visitor arrivals at a time when the island is streamlining entry procedures through online electronic visas and visa-on-arrival options.

Airlink customers on the route will receive complimentary meals and refreshments, while the airline is also offering sporting equipment allowances aimed at leisure travellers heading for the island’s diving, fishing and beach activities.