Cape Town to Johannesburg is one of the world’s busiest flight routes. Millions fly it every year.
Until now, almost everyone landed at OR Tambo. That’s about to change.
*What’s actually launching*
Airlink will start flying Cape Town to Lanseria from 4 December 2026. It’s the airline’s first-ever scheduled domestic service through Lanseria.
Flights will run twice daily, seven days a week, from day one. From 22 March 2027, that jumps to four daily return flights.
The exact schedule is already published. Morning flights leave Lanseria at 9:10am, landing in Cape Town at 11:35am. Afternoon flights leave at 1:00pm, landing at 3:25pm.
Heading back to Gauteng works similarly. Cape Town departures run at 9:20am and 1:30pm.
*The aircraft itself*
Every flight uses a 98-seat Embraer E190. Airlink has confirmed the cabin layout skips middle seats entirely, just window and aisle.
That’s a genuinely pleasant touch on a route this short and this frequently flown.
*Why Lanseria, and why now*
Airlink CEO de Villiers Engelbrecht was direct about the reasoning. Travel options on this specific route have been limited, he said.
The goal is a comfortable alternative for Cape Town–Gauteng travel, alongside Airlink’s existing OR Tambo services, not instead of them.
It’s a sensible move. Lanseria sits in Johannesburg’s north, closer to Sandton, Fourways and Pretoria’s western suburbs than OR Tambo is.
For travellers based in those areas, this could cut real time off the airport transfer, in both directions.
*This builds on August’s bigger announcement*
This isn’t Airlink’s first Lanseria move. Back in August, the airline confirmed Lanseria’s first-ever international route too, three weekly flights to Harare starting 15 November.
Together, these two launches turn Lanseria into a genuine second Gauteng gateway. Not just for Cape Town, but potentially for regional travel too, depending on how the airline builds out the base over time.
*What this means for South African travellers*
If you live or work on Johannesburg’s north side, this route is worth comparing directly against your usual OR Tambo option. Factor in your actual door-to-door time, not just the flight itself.
It’s also useful if you’re already flying FlySafair or other carriers from Lanseria for other routes, since this adds a same-airport option for Cape Town specifically, rather than needing a separate trip across the city.
Worth noting too: Lanseria already serves Durban, East London, George and Port Elizabeth via FlySafair. This Airlink route adds real competition on the Cape Town leg specifically.
*The practical takeaway*
Bookings should open ahead of the 4 December start date. If you’re planning Cape Town–Gauteng travel from December onward, it’s worth comparing Lanseria and OR Tambo fares side by side on Travelstart.
Four daily flights from March 2027 means genuinely flexible scheduling once the route beds in, not just a token twice-a-day service.