Airlink has launched its first-ever direct service between Cape Town and Mauritius, opening a new non-stop connection between the Western Cape and the Indian Ocean island.
The inaugural flight, operated as 4Z350, departed Cape Town International Airport at 10:22 on Friday, 2 October, around 17 minutes behind its scheduled 10:05 departure. The flight is expected to arrive in Mauritius at 17:15 local time, bringing the total flight time to five hours and ten minutes.
The service is operated by efficient Airlink’s Embraer E195-E2, with the route supporting the airline’s plans to use the aircraft’s additional range to open new markets from Cape Town.
When Airlink announced the route in June, CEO de Villiers Engelbrecht said the E195-E2 made it possible for the airline to connect Cape Town with Mauritius directly. Airlink also said the route was intended to serve both leisure and business travellers, while avoiding the additional time and inconvenience of connecting through Johannesburg.
The airline designed the schedule around travellers heading to Mauritius for both holidays and business, with the aim of avoiding disruptive overnight or pre-dawn departures and arrivals. The route initially operates twice weekly. The bi-weekly departures from Cape Town are scheduled for 10:05, with the return flight from Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam scheduled for 18:15 local time.
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The Mauritius service also provides Airlink’s newest aircraft a prominent role in its international network.
The airline introduced the Embraer E195-E2 into service in December 2025, becoming the first carrier in Southern Africa to operate the type. The aircraft is powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1900G geared turbofan engines and offers increased range compared with Airlink’s previous-generation E-Jets.
Airlink originally agreed to lease 10 E195-E2s from aircraft lessor Azorra, with deliveries planned through 2027. The aircraft were intended not only to provide additional capacity on busy domestic routes, but also to allow Airlink to reach markets that were less practical for its earlier-generation fleet.
The E195-E2 can carry up to 136 passengers in Airlink’s configuration. For the Mauritius service, the aircraft is configured with 124 seats, comprising 12 in Business Class and 112 in Economy Class. As with Airlink’s other aircraft, the cabin has no middle seats.
Airlink currently has seven E195-E2s in service, with an additional three aircraft still expected. The airline’s original agreement covers 10 aircraft in total.
The Cape Town-Mauritius route is therefore one of the clearest examples yet of Airlink using the E195-E2’s extended range to move beyond its traditional regional network. The E195-E2 has a range of up to 3,000 nautical miles (5,556 km), allowing Airlink to operate longer routes that were less practical with its previous-generation aircraft. The aircraft is designed to deliver improved fuel efficiency and lower operating costs, giving Airlink the flexibility to open new routes while using a smaller aircraft than a typical narrowbody.
The extended range allows the aircraft to operate high-demand domestic routes as well as longer regional services to neighbouring African countries.
With the new service now underway, Airlink has another direct international option from Cape Town while continuing the rollout of its next-generation Embraer fleet.