11 June 2024
Peak Demand Season
St Helena’s air service provision with Airlink operates as a scheduled weekly service between Johannesburg and St Helena and a monthly inter-island service with Ascension Island.
In November 2023 SHG announced the 2024-25 peak season mid-week flights (Tuesday Johannesburg flights) and the reintroduction of Cape Town flights (Saturday flights). Following assessment of the current and forecast demand for these flights and discussions with Airlink and the Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) it has been decided to remove the March 2025 Tuesday Johannesburg flights to maximise value from the air service.
Flights as per the attached schedule are available in the global reservation systems 360 days prior to departure.
Historical data indicates that the peak demand season is from December to March; however, the tourism landscape has changed since the COVID pandemic, and it should be noted that 2023 was just the third full year of air access-based tourism. The disruption of the last few years has affected accurate forecasting of future demand and although St Helena is recovering well, it is still in tourism recovery phase.
Through the Tourism Recovery Strategy (2022-2024), SHG are actively working to recover the industry from the impacts of the pandemic. In terms of arrivals, as of April 2024, we were 88% recovered against 2019/20 (the island’s best year for tourism), and visitor spend is now estimated to be up to £7 million, on par with pre-pandemic expenditure figures.
To further develop St Helena as a tourism destination and increase visitor numbers, work is ongoing to improve tourism infrastructure, increase marketing efforts, and address capacity constraints on the island through training and up-skilling programmes. This work is supported by another round of ring-fenced funding for year two of the Tourism Development Programme (2024-25).
Tickets for travel between South Africa and St Helena are available online, via the Airlink website at www.flyairlink.com and through all International Air Transport Association (IATA) travel agents.
For residents of St Helena, ticket bookings can be made via Solomon & Company (St Helena) Plc’s Shipping & Travel Agency at the Malabar in Jamestown. Passengers can visit the Shipping & Travel Agency in person or contact them via email through travelagent@solomons.co.sh or by telephone on 22523.
Tickets for travel on the inter-island service between St Helena and Ascension are available through the AIG Travel Office. Passengers can contact the Travel Office via email through flight.bookings@ascension.gov.ac or by telephone on +247 67000 ext 1111.
SHG
11 June 2024
Airlink Flight Schedule South Africa – HLE – South Africa (including ASI) Jun 2024 – April 2025
