Direct flights between Cape Town and St Helena will resume from December 2024 until March 2025. They will supplement the existing weekly flights between St Helena and Johannesburg.
The flights, operated by Airlink, will run on Saturdays from Cape Town and on Tuesdays from Johannesburg.
Up until 2017, when St Helena’s first and only airport opened to the public, Cape Town served as the gateway for St Helena, with regular ship services over the years (a five-day voyage to reach the island).
Today, the flight takes just a few hours from South Africa – and the additional flight from Cape Town offers different options for lengths of stay for holidaymakers to the island.
"In the six years since Airlink was awarded the contract to operate air services between St Helena and the African mainland, we have seen a steady post-COVID recovery and rise in demand for travel to and from the island," said Airlink CEO and MD, Rodger Foster. "Starting initially as a weekly service, we’ve since introduced a seasonal second-weekly service to cover the summer holiday period between Johannesburg and St Helena.
“However, we recognise that many St Helena residents have close ties with Cape Town, which for centuries was a primary gateway to the island. Cape Town is a launchpad for tourism beyond South Africa. By linking it directly with St Helena to cover the summer season at the end of 2024, Airlink will provide a convenient and reliable service to what is a unique, largely unspoiled, and attractive destination which is also of historic significance.”
Napoleon to create renewed interest
The new film Napoleon, a spectacle-filled action epic that details the rise and fall of the iconic French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, played by Oscar-winner Joaquin Phoenix, is expected to create renewed interest in St Helena as a historic tourist destination.
Napoleon was exiled to St Helena in 1815 after his defeat at Waterloo, and died as a prisoner on the island on May 5, 1821, at the age of 51.
Click here to learn more about St Helena as a tourist destination.
