New airline launches flights between Lanseria Airport and Cape Town to take on FlySafair
Airlink will launch daily flights between Cape Town and Lanseria International Airport from 4 December 2026.
Airlink is a privately-owned regional airline connecting business hubs, secondary cities, and safari destinations that larger carriers do not serve.
The airline was founded on 11 June 1992. It was formerly a South African Airways franchise, SA Airlink, but rebranded as a standalone carrier in 2020.
Its shareholders include SA Airlink Investments, Sishen Iron Ore Company Community Development Trust, Coronation Capital, and Barrie Webb.
The airline has 74 aircraft, primarily consisting of Embraer E-Jets and regional Embraer ERJ 135 and 145 jets.
Airlink operates to more than 47 destinations in 15 African countries, as well as to St Helena Island and Madagascar.
“Our flights are rarely late and never cancelled. We understand that our customers’ most important criterion is punctuality,” it said.
Airlink is consistently ranked as one of the two top airlines for on-time operation in South Africa’s skies.
On 6 October 2026, Airlink announced new twice-daily flights between Cape Town and Lanseria International Airport, starting 4 December 2026.
The new service will provide a connection for people travelling to and from Johannesburg who want to avoid the congestion of OR Tambo International Airport.
Lanseria, which is a world-class modern facility, is located to serve communities and businesses on the western side of Gauteng and in the North West province.
Airlink CEO, De Villiers Engelbrecht, said travel options on this route have been limited. At this stage, only FlySafair offers a service from Lanseria.
“We want to give passengers an alternative for travelling between the two regions, while also complementing our existing services to O.R. Tambo,” he said.
This new route will also be Airlink’s first scheduled domestic service to Lanseria. It will be operated by an Embraer E190 aircraft, which accommodates 98 passengers.
The Embraer E190 aircraft seating plan means that all passengers are seated at window and aisle seats. There are no middle seats on Airlink flights.
Airlink said it will increase these frequencies to four daily return flights, effective from 22 March 2027.
New Airlink flights between Lanseria Airport and Cape Town
| Departure | Time | Arrival | Time |
| Cape Town | 09h20 | Lanseria | 11h35 |
| Lanseria | 13h00 | Cape Town | 15h25 |
| Lanseria | 09h10 | Cape Town | 11h35 |
| Cape Town | 13h30 | Lanseria | 15h45 |
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Not sure the headline is accurate – Airlink has been operating as a stand-alone airline for more than 25 years so describing them as a “new airline” doesn’t make sense