Airlink will launch twice-daily flights between Cape Town and Lanseria International Airport from Dec. 4, 2026. This will offer an alternative to existing services on one of South Africa’s busiest domestic routes and introduce competition to FlySafair, which currently dominates the route.
The privately owned regional airline aims to help passengers travelling to and from western Gauteng, along with neighbouring regions, avoid congestion at Johannesburg’s main gateway.
Twice-Daily Service Begins in December
The airline will operate two daily return flights using its 98-seat Embraer E190, seven days a week.
Airlink CEO De Villiers Engelbrecht said travel options between Cape Town and Lanseria have been limited, with only FlySafair offering the service from Lanseria. He states:
“We want to give passengers an alternative for travelling between the two regions, while also complementing our existing services to O.R. Tambo,”
Airlink has also outlined plans to expand the route further, expecting to increase service to four daily return flights from March 2027.
Competition Increases at Lanseria
Industry reports identified FlySafair as the only airline operating scheduled domestic services from Lanseria. Airlink’s flights are expected to increase competition in the Johannesburg market, meaning passengers travelling between Cape Town and the airport will soon have a second carrier to choose from.
Airlink said the route will improve connectivity for business and leisure travellers while supporting increased travel demand between the Western Cape and Gauteng.
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