Airlink to Introduce Cape Town Zanzibar Flights

JOHANNESBURG — Airlink (4Z) will launch scheduled flights between Cape Town (CPT) and Zanzibar (ZNZ) later this year.

Airlink will offer the first-ever nonstop service between Cape Town and Zanzibar starting in October this year. This service will bring the island of Zanzibar within closer reach from Cape Town and significantly cut travel time for travelers.

Second Zanzibar route

The service will be the Southern African airline's second routing between South Africa and Zanzibar. 4Z is set to introduce flights from Johannesburg (JNB) to Zanzibar on June 3, 2026.

The CPT-ZNZ service will operate on Saturdays from October 3. Flights between CPT and ZNZ will have a flying time of just over six hours.

4Z will operate the service using its new Embraer E195-E2 flagship aircraft. The aircraft seats 124 passengers in a two-class cabin.

“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, which is an important source market for travel to the island.   Cape Town is also our second hub and a popular connecting point for long-haul, regional, and local customers traveling with Airlink or any of our partner airlines from around the world,” said de Villiers Engelbrecht, Airlink CEO.

First-Ever nonstop connection

The CPT-ZNZ service will make travel between two of Africa's most sought-after destinations even more convenient.

Travelers already holding Airlink tickets for flights between CPT and ZNZ (via JNB) may switch their bookings to the non-stop direct flight at no extra charge.

Zanzibar is not only a popular tourist destination. The island's economy – driven by agriculture, manufacturing, marine services, as well as offshore oil and gas exploration - is also growing in interest from investors and business travelers.

The adoption of an online electronic visa application system and the alternative option of obtaining visas on arrival contribute to Zanzibar’s popularity.