St Helena has welcomed a new mid-week Airlink flight connecting the remote destination with Johannesburg from November 2023.

The new seasonal flight, which will operate on Tuesdays, will complement the regular scheduled flights to St Helena on Saturdays. The additional flight will be available during the Southern summer season, from November 28 to the end of February 2024.

“We are delighted to offer travellers to our beautiful island more flexibility and more options to tailor their trip to St Helena,” said St Helena government Head of Tourism Matthew Joshua. “We have seen a great increase in interest from the South African market to travel to St Helena, and this additional mid-week flight will allow us to capitalise on that demand.”

The flights will be operated by Airlink’s 98-seat Embraer E190.

Rodger Foster, CEO and MD of Airlink, said: “St Helena is a uniquely important destination in Airlink’s network and we are privileged to be able to support the island’s economy by providing the much-needed extra mid-week peak-season connectivity that enables tourism, while also promoting trade and providing a vital air bridge to the world via Airlink’s main Johannesburg hub.”

The airline is also working with the South African Civil Aviation Authority to gain approvals to resume seasonal Cape Town to St Helena flights from 2024, running from November to April every year.