Independent Southern African airline, Airlink, will increase the frequency of flights between Johannesburg and Jamestown, St Helena, to a weekly service from October 15. 

This is in line with plans by the St Helena Government to lift COVID-19 quarantine, testing and mask-wearing restrictions from August 8, along with the reopening of tourism facilities, including the South Atlantic island’s Mantis hotel, which is planning to open its doors again, from mid-October.  

“Airlink is preparing to ramp-up services between the African mainland and St Helena, with a view to returning to weekly flights by mid-October. St Helena is a unique destination with a community of 4 200 people. To date, it has managed to avoid exposure to the various strains of COVID-19. Airlink is working in tandem with the local authorities and St Helena’s tourism and hospitality sector, to safely increase flights to and from the island,” said Airlink CEO and MD, Rodger Foster.

Airlink operates a 98-seat Embraer E-190 jetliner on the Johannesburg-St Helena route, with a refuelling stop at Walvis Bay on the Namibian coast. The total journey time is approximately six hours.  

In addition, Airlink provides a monthly charter service between St Helena and Ascension Island almost 1 300km away.   

Airlink began flying the Johannesburg-Jamestown route in November 2017 under contract to the St Helena Government and is the island’s only scheduled airline service.  

After the COVID pandemic caused an almost two-year hiatus, Airlink resumed flights with a fortnightly service in March this year. Although 98% of St Helena residents are vaccinated, most have not been exposed to COVID-19 or any of its variants. Until its COVID entry restrictions are lifted on August 8, visitors to the island have to quarantine and comply with testing requirements.