South African regional airline Airlink is adding a new connection between Johannesburg and Harare, Zimbabwe, as airlines across Africa respond to growing demand for short-haul travel between major cities.

The new service will operate from Lanseria International Airport, giving travellers in Gauteng’s northern areas a direct option to Zimbabwe’s capital without having to travel to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport.

Airlink said the Johannesburg-Harare route remains one of Southern Africa’s busiest air corridors, with demand reaching an average of about 60,000 seats a month in 2025. The airline expects the new Lanseria service to make travel easier for passengers living within the airport’s surrounding area.

“Johannesburg-Harare is one of the busiest routes in Southern Africa and saw demand averaging around 60,000 seats a month in 2025,” Airlink CEO de Villiers Engelbrecht said. “A significant percentage of this market comprises people within Lanseria’s catchment area, and Airlink is able to better serve these customers by adding Lanseria flights to our existing services from OR Tambo.”

New Lanseria route expands Airlink’s Zimbabwe network

The new flights will begin on Nov. 15 and will become Airlink’s first scheduled services from Lanseria International Airport. The route will also mark the first scheduled airline connection between Lanseria and Harare.

Airlink will use Embraer E190 aircraft for the service, with capacity for 98 passengers, including six business-class seats and 92 economy seats. The airline said passengers in both classes will have access to either window or aisle seats, as its aircraft do not include middle seats.

Three weekly flights to connect Gauteng and Harare

Flights from Lanseria to Harare will operate three times a week on Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays under flight number 4Z 090. The aircraft will leave Lanseria at 7 a.m. and arrive in Harare at 8:40 a.m., with all times based on local schedules.

Return flights will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, departing Harare at 5:45 p.m. and arriving in Lanseria at 7:25 p.m. The airline said the schedule was designed to provide more flexibility for both business and leisure travellers.

Founded in 1992, Airlink is one of Southern Africa’s largest regional airlines, operating more than 70 jet aircraft across 47 destinations in South Africa, Southern Africa, East Africa, Madagascar and St. Helena.

The privately owned carrier focuses on regional connectivity, linking smaller markets with major economic centres.

The expansion from Lanseria reflects Airlink’s broader efforts to increase access to regional African routes while giving passengers more choices when travelling between neighbouring countries.