Airlink Launches First Direct Cape Town–Zanzibar Flights from October

Airlink has announced the first-ever nonstop service between Cape Town and Zanzibar, set to begin on 3 October 2026. The once-weekly Saturday flight removes the longstanding need for Western Cape travellers to connect through Johannesburg and cuts overall journey time significantly for anyone combining a South Africa trip with time on Tanzania’s most popular island.

The route will be operated by Airlink’s newest aircraft, the Embraer E195-E2, carrying 124 passengers in a two-class layout. The seating design eliminates middle seats — every seat is a window or aisle — and complimentary meals and refreshments are included. Flight 4Z 356 departs Cape Town at 08:15 and arrives in Zanzibar at 14:30 local time. The return leg, 4Z 357, departs Zanzibar at 15:30 and lands back in Cape Town at 20:50.

Why this route matters

Demand for Zanzibar from South Africa’s domestic market has been growing for several years. Airlink already operates a Johannesburg–Zanzibar service, but Western Cape travellers have until now been required to either connect or fly with another carrier. The new Cape Town route positions October–February — Zanzibar’s peak season for clear water, diving and beach visits — as a realistic add-on to a broader South Africa trip without the overhead of a hub transit.

Passengers holding existing Cape Town–Johannesburg–Zanzibar bookings can transfer to the direct service at no additional cost, provided they remain in the same cabin class.

Building a combined itinerary

October marks the start of summer in the Cape and is also a strong month for Cape Town itself: whale season winds down, the south-easter eases, and the winelands are at their greenest before harvest pressure builds. From October, game viewing in the east picks up as animals concentrate at waterholes ahead of the November rains — Kruger-area safaris are well worth considering as part of a broader southern-and-east Africa routing.

The practical case for using Cape Town as a hub, flying directly to Zanzibar, and either returning via Johannesburg or looping back is now much stronger than it was last season.

A full breakdown of airlines, routing options and timing considerations for getting to South Africa appears in our flights to South Africa guide. Bookings for the Cape Town–Zanzibar service are open now through Airlink and travel agents for October 2026 onwards.