South African regional and domestic airline Airlink has officially started operating its new regional route between Johannesburg and Nacala in Mozambique’s Nampula province. The service commenced on Monday and will initially operate twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays.
“By adding Nacala to our network, Airlink adds the vital component of air connectivity, positioning Nacala into a truly multi-modal transport and logistics node for this region,” said Airlink CEO de Villiers Engelbrecht. “Airlink’s convenient, reliable, great value and full-service flights will be a game-changer for Nacala and the businesses and enterprises it supports.”
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Mozambique’s third-largest harbour city, Nacala, serves as the coastal end of the Nacala Corridor, providing access to the sea for exports and imports for Zambia, Malawi, and the western Mozambican province of Tete. The city is also a gateway for trade, tourism, and other economic activities in northern Mozambique.
“Having Airlink connect Nacala with the rest of the world will incentivise travel to and from this important commercial hub and stimulate a surge in trade, tourism and investments that will unlock our region’s full potential,” said Nampula provincial Governor Eduardo Mariamo Abdula. “This will improve the socioeconomic landscape of northern Mozambique.”
The flights are operated with Airlink’s Embraer regional jets. Departures from Johannesburg are scheduled at 10:30 on Mondays and Fridays (flight 4Z 236), arriving in Nacala at 13:10. Return flights (4Z 237) depart Nacala at 13:45 and arrive in Johannesburg at 16:35.
Engelbrecht emphasised that Airlink is investing its own funds to launch and develop the route. “While we are starting modestly with two return flights a week, we see enormous potential in the route and our intention is to add capacity and increase frequency as the demand increases,” he said.
Airlink has a long-standing presence in Mozambique, operating flights for over 30 years. Nacala is the airline’s seventh destination in the country, alongside Maputo, Beira, Nampula, Pemba, Tete, and Vilanculos.The carrier now operates more than 60 return flights weekly between South Africa and Mozambique.
The new Johannesburg–Nacala flights are coordinated to provide convenient connections with Airlink’s domestic and regional services, as well as with long-haul flights operated by its global partner airlines.