NEW YORK, Dec 31, 2025, 16:09 ET
- Airlink plans new Johannesburg flights to Zanzibar from June 2026 and to Mozambique’s Nacala from February 2026, and will fine-tune its Nairobi schedule from late March.
- Qantas has launched a nonstop Perth–Johannesburg service, while South African Airways is planning a short-term frequency cut on the route in February 2026, route data show.
- The changes underscore a broader push by airlines to expand Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo Airport connections ahead of the 2026 travel season.
Airlink will add new flights from Johannesburg to Zanzibar and Mozambique’s Nacala in 2026 and adjust its Nairobi timetable from late March, expanding options from South Africa’s main air hub, according to travel industry reports published on Tuesday.
The moves matter now because airlines are locking in 2026 schedules that can reshape connections across southern and eastern Africa, as well as links to Australia. Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport is a major gateway for the region, and new routes can shorten journey times and widen one-stop options for long-haul travelers.
They also come as competition is shifting on the Perth–Johannesburg corridor, one of the few nonstop links between southern Africa and Western Australia. Qantas has launched the route, and South African Airways is adjusting capacity on the same city pair, according to route data.
Airlink said it will start twice-weekly Johannesburg–Nacala return flights from Feb. 2, 2026, initially operating on Mondays and Fridays. “By adding Nacala to our network, Airlink is able to provide additional vital connectivity for business and leisure travellers,” CEO de Villiers Engelbrecht said. Airlink
Nacala is a port city in northern Mozambique, and Airlink said it will become the carrier’s seventh destination in the country. The airline published flight numbers and timings for the new service in its route notice.
On Kenya, Airlink said it is fine-tuning its Johannesburg–Nairobi schedule to run daily from late March 2026, including an early-morning southbound flight from Nairobi to Johannesburg and a lunchtime departure northbound from Johannesburg. The airline said the changes are designed to improve connections at both ends of the route.
For Zanzibar, Airlink has said it will introduce two weekly flights from Johannesburg starting June 3, 2026, with tickets on sale. The route will be operated with Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, Travelnews reported.
Other airlines are also positioning around Johannesburg’s network. Sierra Express Media said the planned additions reinforce Johannesburg’s role as a regional aviation gateway heading into 2026.
On long-haul links, Qantas said it launched direct services between Perth and Johannesburg and will operate the route three times a week. Qantas said the service also supports onward travel in South Africa and the region through its partnership with Airlink.
South African Airways, which also flies between Johannesburg and Perth, plans to reduce service on the route from five flights a week to three for a two-week period from Feb. 15 to Feb. 26, 2026, according to a Dec. 30 update by schedule data specialist AeroRoutes.
Codeshare partnerships — deals that let airlines sell seats on each other’s flights — are a key part of how carriers funnel passengers through hubs like Johannesburg. The 2026 route changes will test how much connecting traffic airlines can capture as they expand or rebalance capacity across Africa and the Australia link.
Airlines routinely adjust planned operations, and schedules can change with aircraft availability and airport slot allocations. For travelers, the shift means more nonstop options out of Johannesburg in 2026 — and potentially more competition on key regional and intercontinental routes.
