Flights between South Africa’s “Mother City” and the South Atlantic Island will operate every Saturday until 29 March 2025.  They augment the weekly Johannesburg-St Helena schedule which will operate on Tuesdays for the duration of the summer season.

Prior to 2017, when commercial flights to St Helena’s newly built airport began operating, the only way to reach the island was a five-day sea voyage from Cape Town. Today, Airlink, puts this bucket-list destination in easy reach of visitors.

“It’s about a six-hour flight between Cape Town and Jamestown, with a brief re-fuelling stop in Walvis Bay,” says Airlink CEO and Managing Director, Rodger Foster. “For travellers with a keen sense of adventure and history, St Helena remains one of the most unspoiled, fascinating and unforgettable places to visit. It is a privilege to be entrusted with this route.”

Matt Joshua, Head of Tourism for St Helena says the seasonal Cape Town-St Helena route is invaluable for local residents with ties to South Africa, South African tourists, and international visitors from the UK, Europe and beyond.

“Cape Town is a launchpad for tourism. By linking the Mother City directly with St Helena, Airlink is providing a convenient and reliable service to a destination that holds a unique mystique for many,” says Joshua. “It really is a destination like no other.”

Lying in middle of the South Atlantic and once a critical port of call between Europe and Asia, St Helena is now home to nearly 4,000 residents – all ready to introduce visitors to the island’s extraordinary history, traditions, landscape, wildlife and nature. From unmatched walking and hiking trails to birding, diving, snorkelling and photographic expeditions, the island awaits – now only a flight away from Cape Town.

Discover the best rates and promotional fares by visiting the Airlink website at www.flyairlink.com or contacting an IATA travel agent. Your extraordinary Atlantic adventure begins with just one click – explore and book today for the best deals available!

The full schedule of flights can be found on www.flyairlink.com.

In line with this year-round agreement, Air Belgium will operate direct flights from Johannesburg (JNB) to Brussels (BRU) on Mondays and Thursdays. On Wednesdays and Saturdays, a connection from JNB to BRU via Mauritius (MRU) will be available, offering a transit or stopover option in Mauritius. The direct routes ex Johannesburg and ex Mauritius will be serviced by Air Belgium’s highly-regarded A330-900neo aircraft, known for its superior service quality and comfort.

Air Belgium, having established a strong footprint in Southern Africa through its partnerships with Airlink and FlyCemair, now offers even more comprehensive regional connections. The expanded interline agreement with Air Mauritius enables Air Belgium to present South African travellers with a wider variety of exciting travel options.

Niky Terzakis, CEO of Air Belgium, commented on the partnership: “Our collaboration with Air Mauritius opens a new chapter of enhanced service for South African travellers. This, coupled with our existing partnerships with Airlink and FlyCemair, underscores our dedication to offering diverse and seamless travel experiences to our valued customers.”

Air Belgium continues its commitment to evolving the travel experience, delivering exceptional service, enticing destinations, and smooth connectivity. This latest interline agreement invites South African travellers to embark on a journey that combines the distinct allure of the Indian Ocean and the unique charm of Belgium in one trip.

For further information and bookings, please visit Air Belgium’s official website www.airbelgium.com.

As part of the new service change, the airline has introduced a pre-plating concept in its Business Class Cabin specifically on its Bombay and Johannesburg routes. Besides enabling the airline to maintain a sustainable service offering on board its aircraft, the new concept will also substantially reduce the total waste collected on board the aircraft with total weight savings of around 50 kgs in plastic and aluminium.

As part of its long term corporate social responsibility programme, the airline will continue to review its product and services to identify opportunities to introduce eco-friendly elements to further decrease the use of plastic and aluminium items throughout its operations.

Remco Althuis, Chief Executive Officer of Air Seychelles said: “At Air Seychelles we recognize the importance of reducing environmental footprint, hence we are constantly evaluating the way we conduct business to identify areas where we can implement eco-friendly measures.

“Globally airlines are being pressured to reduce their cabin waste as well as the use of plastic on board their aircraft and at Air Seychelles we are doing every effort to introduce new initiatives including service procedures company-wide not only to increase efficiencies but to also ensure that airline operates sustainably.”

The Nigerian Ministry of Foreign Affairs disclosed earlier this week that the South African government had granted Air Peace the approval to commence flight operations to Johannesburg.

Allen Onyema, chairman of Air Peace, confirmed that the airline would commence flight operations as soon as possible to promote air transportation between Nigeria and South Africa.

The agreement according to the ministry was signed at the 9th session of the Nigeria/South Africa Bi-national Commission Summit in Pretoria on September 27.

The joint commission was established in 1999 to encourage bilateral relations between the two countries.

The new-build, 222-room hotel will comprise of standard studios and suites in bold designs. The hotel will feature the famous Radisson RED food and beverage concepts and social scenes, such as the ‘all day dining’ OUIBar + KTCHN. Following the footsteps of its sister hotel in Cape Town, voted the best rooftop bar in the city, Radisson RED Johannesburg Rosebank will also boast a trendy rooftop bar and terrace. This will also include a swimming pool and fitness room, giving guests various options to unwind, all while basking in the stunning Johannesburg skyline views.

Thinus Crafford, Developer and Oxford Parks’s representative, commented: “The hotel will be located in the first phase of Oxford Parks – a unique, holistic urban space designed to uplift and enhance the community and promote a sense of belonging. The Radisson RED will complete phase one of Oxford Parks, consisting of 4 commercial buildings, the Radisson RED hotel and ancillary retail on the ground floor of each of the commercial buildings. Oxford Parks offers you an experience where business, lifestyle and leisure are harmoniously integrated. We are proud to announce that tenants such as BPSA, the Life Healthcare Group, Thebe Investment Corporation, ARUP, Metier, Credo Wealth and Sony have decided to relocate their corporate offices to Oxford Parks. All buildings within Oxford Parks will be designed to meet a minimum 4-Star Green Star rating. In Oxford Parks, sustainable technology becomes a lifestyle and not just a passing trend. We are delighted and honored to welcome to Oxford Parks, both Radisson RED and the investor, RDC Properties Limited, and are confident that soon both will experience and be part of this uniquely compelling urban space”.

Introducing its distinct and quirky meetings and events space to the city, the hotel will offer six event studios, a conference room and a large meeting room – each with high-speed Wi-Fi, the latest audio-visual technology and creative spaces to drive inspiration.

It has transpired that all Instrument Approaches in Namibia that are dependant on land based Navigational Aids have been withdrawn from service with immediate effect by the Namibian Civil Aviation Authority. Airlink is affected by this at two airports, Windhoek (“WDH”) and Walvis Bay (“WVB”). In the case of WDH, an RNAV GNSS approach (which relies solely on aircraft based navigational equipment) is in place and as such Airlink will be able to operate normally. However, in the case of WVB there is no RNAV GNSS approach at this stage or any other alternative to the withdrawn systems, and therefore we will not be able to approach the airport in cloudy conditions. 

We are aware that the Namibian CAA is in the process of designing and emplacing an RNAV GNSS approach at WVB, but there is no indication at this stage as to when this approach facility will be available. In the circumstances, Airlink will encourage that this process be expedited. 

In the interim it is possible that cloudy conditions and low fog are encountered at Walvis Bay, and if this does occur  Airlink’s flight will divert to Johannesburg, or if practicable to Windhoek in order to take on more fuel and attempt to approach the airport again. 
 

Mercer’s 25th annual Cost of Living Survey finds that a number of factors, including currency fluctuations, cost of inflation for goods and services, and volatility in accommodation prices, contribute to the overall cost of expatriate packages for employees on international assignments. The survey includes over 500 cities throughout the world; this year’s ranking includes 209 cities across five continents and measures the comparative cost of more than 200 items in each location, including housing, transportation, food, clothing, household goods, and entertainment. 

Africa ranking

N’Djamena, Chad takes the lead as the highest-ranking city in Africa. Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo (22) is in second place, rising 15 places. Libreville, Gabon (24) is the next African city on the list, followed by Lagos, Nigeria (25), which moved up 17 places. Despite dropping about 20 places, Luanda, Angola (26) still remains in fifth place.

However, cities like Banjul in Gambia (204) and Windhoek, Namibia (204) are among the bottom 10 cities on the ranking.

“Each African country has its own unique economy and this is why multinationals need not approach their expatriate packages for Africa with one single strategy. Let’s look at it this way, while a city like N’Djamena in Chad has been listed as the 11th most expensive city in the world, whereas Mali comes in at the 124th position in terms of cost of living,” said Yolanda Sedlmaier, principal leader – Africa mobility at Mercer.

Global ranking

In a rapidly changing world, mobility programmes have become a core component of multinational organisations’ global talent strategy. Organisations realise that to thrive, they must embrace change, adapt to new technologies, and build emerging skills to attract, motivate, and enhance talent.

“In a skill-focused economy driven by digital disruption and the need for a globally connected workforce, deploying expatriate employees is an increasingly important aspect of a competitive business strategy for global companies,” said Ilya Bonic, President of Mercer’s career business. 

“There are numerous personal and organisational advantages for sending employees overseas, including career development, global experience, new skillsets, and re-allocation of resources. By offering fair and competitive compensation packages, organisations can facilitate moves that drive business results.”

Mercer’s 2019 Cost of Living Survey finds that eight out of the top ten of the world’s most expensive cities for expatriates are Asian cities, resulting from high costs for expatriate consumer goods and a dynamic housing market. 

Tokyo (2), Singapore (3) and Seoul (4) top the list, while the costliest city in the world for the second consecutive year, is Hong Kong (1). Other cities appearing in the top ten are Zurich (5), Shanghai (6), Ashgabat (7), Beijing (8), New York City (9), and Shenzhen (10). 

The world’s least expensive cities for expatriates are Tunis (209), Tashkent (208), and Karachi (207).

The new flights according to Citizen TV is aimed at attracting South African tourists and business travellers.

The flight schedule will also reportedly connect four major airports in Tanzania with OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg with four direct flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

Josephat Kagirwa, ATCL’s public affairs spokesman, confirmed that the four local airports to introduce South African connections are Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Zanzibar International Airport, Kilimanjaro International Airport in northern Tanzania, and Mwanza International Airport.

According to the airline’s website return tickets are available from $299 until July 15 when prices will increase to $347. 

Flights will initially be operated by a B787-800 until July when an A220-300 will be deployed on the route.

Flight HM061 from Seychelles to Johannesburg operated by the airline Airbus A320 aircraft featuring 16 business class and 120 economy class seats departed the Seychelles International Airport this morning at 9.25am under the command of Captain Archille Young and First Officer Bertrand Mein. The guests were looked after by Cabin Manager Tania Mellie, Cabin Senior Kelpha Dailoo including Flight Attendants, Brian Estico and Mike Maria.

The round trip service will depart O.R. Tambo International Airport at 1.45pm and will arrive in the Seychelles at 8.40pm.

Charles Johnson, Chief Commercial Officer of Air Seychelles said: “At Air Seychelles we are constantly looking at ways to maximize convenience and flexibility for our guests.

“After having added a sixth weekly frequency last year, we are thrilled to be now offering daily service between the two countries which also demonstrates the importance of strengthening business, tourism and cultural ties between the Seychelles and South Africa.

“Besides catering to both leisure and business travellers, together with the support of our codeshare partners we are also able to provide a combined experience to South Africa and beyond.

“For that we would like to thank all our partners, as well as the airport authorities for their support in enabling the Air Seychelles daily services to Johannesburg kick-off successfully.”

All three destinations will feature Etihad Airways’ next-generation Business and Economy cabins, configured with 299 seats – 28 Business Studios and 271 Economy Smart Seats.

Etihad Airways extensive global network to and from Abu Dhabi will see more 787 Dreamliners introduced on key destinations as the airline takes delivery of more of the type.

Timetable

Boeing 787 schedule to Johannesburg, effective 01 August 2019

 *Next day arrival

Boeing 787 schedule to Lagos, effective 02 August 2019

Boeing 787 schedule to Milan, effective 01 September 2019