UPDATED: African Flight Routes – New Johannesburg to Dar es Salaam Route with SAA

Travellers wanting to explore Africa’s top safari destinations can access several new flight route connections. International carriers have expanded their connectivity to key destinations across the continent. Easier access between Africa’s cities adds to the appeal of planning safari itineraries across multiple countries instead of a single-country trip, as travellers can now pair different experiences with traditional safari itineraries. It also means reduced travel time, with more quality holiday time at the destination. Take a look at this comprehensive list of the new flights and increased capacity to help you plan your next African adventure.

Singapore Airlines to Increase Flights to Johannesburg – April and June 2025

Singapore Airlines will increase its weekly flights to Johannesburg from seven to 10 in April and then to 12 in June. Operated with an Airbus A350-900, flights will depart from Singapore daily at 01h30 and arrive in Johannesburg at 06h10, and depart from Johannesburg at 13h45 and arrive in Singapore at 06h10 the next day. Extra flights will take off on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.

New Flight From Johannesburg to Dar es Salaam with SAA – January 2025

South African Airways (SAA) has announced a new flight route from OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg to Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. This route will be operated daily, with flights departing Johannesburg at 22h00 and arriving in Dar es Salaam at 02h30 the following day. The return flight leaves Dar es Salaam at 05h10 and arrives in Johannesburg at 07h55. This relaunch is part of the airline’s plan to have a stronger presence on the African continent. Welcome news for safari goers, this will give travellers more options to combine visiting South Africa with a Tanzania safari.

Increased Flights to Tanzania from Turkish Airlines – June 2025

Travellers wanting to visit Tanzania will have more flight options come June 2025 thanks to Turkish Airlines. The Istanbul-based airline has announced a huge expansion of its flight services to the East African nation, with 14 weekly flights to Kilimanjaro International Airport, 14 weekly flights to Zanzibar, and 10 weekly flights to Dar es Salaam. These increased flights (twice daily to Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar!) is in response to Tanzania’s growing tourism sector, with more and more international travellers wanting to visit iconic destinations including the Serengeti, Mount Kilimanjaro, and the island paradise of Zanzibar.

New Flight Options for Harare and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe – Last Quarter of 2025

Transvaal Africa, a new Zimbabwean start-up airline, plans to take to the skies to connect more people to Harare and Victoria Falls in the last quarter of 2025 with three leased Boeing aircraft. Regional routes will include Harare to Johannesburg, South Africa; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; and Lagos, Nigeria. Safari travellers will be delighted to know that Transvaal Africa aims to land at Victoria Falls Airport, too. Charter flights between Victoria Falls and South African cities, Johannesburg and Cape Town, are in the airline’s plans. International travellers can benefit from flights to the falls from Berlin, Shanghai, and the Middle East.

KLM Increases Seasonal Connectivity to Cape Town Until March 2025

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will increase its capacity to Cape Town with two additional flights per week on Tuesdays and Sundays – from 27 October 2024 to 30 March 2025 This takes the Dutch carriers offering to nine weekly flights into Cape Town for this period, providing even more flexibility and options for its passengers.

Delta Expands Service to Nigeria – January 2025

The Delta Airlines New York-JFK to Lagos, Nigeria route has shifted from a daily to three times per week, as of 16 January 2025. Tourism between the U.S. and Africa will see improved service and flight connectivity from U.S. carrier Delta Airlines. The carrier announced plans to restart its service to Nigeria from New York-JFK, and fleet upgrades for its Ghana and South Africa service have been confirmed.

Airlink Adds DRC Route Between Johannesburg and Kinshasa – March 2025

Southern Africa regional carrier Airlink is set to expand air services between South Africa and the Democratic Republic of Congo with the launch of a Johannesburg to Kinshasa flight from 28 March 2025. Airlink’s new service will operate three times a week, using a 98-seat Embraer E190 twin-engine aircraft. The airline also operates flights to Lubumbashi as part of its regional network.

“Kinshasa is a regional heavyweight. Besides serving as the country’s political and economic capital, it is Africa’s most populous city with over seventeen million inhabitants. With Airlink’s combination of schedule, connections and great service, we expect to have a knock-out response,” said Airlink CEO and Managing Director Rodger Foster. Airlink flights are scheduled to provide convenient connections with its South African domestic and regional services as well as with long-haul flights through its global airline partnerships.

Safari Skies to Launch Cape Town to Madikwe Route – May 2025

Wish you could skip the Joburg layover when travelling from Cape Town to Madikwe? Private charter flights company, Safari Skies, has announced the launch of direct flights from Cape Town to the Madikwe Game Reserve. Set to begin in May 2025, this will make combining a Cape Town beach vacation with an African safari so much simpler. Located in the North West Province of South Africa, Madikwe is home to the Big Five as well as luxurious safari lodges and camps.

ASKY Airlines Expands its Network

The Togo-based airline, ASKY, is working to make regional travel on the continent more accessible with additional non-stop regional routes, which is great news for travellers wanting to have multi-destination African safaris. With the African travel market continuing to grow, ASKY is another airline that has decided to capitalise on this expansion. To accommodate the extra flights, the airline is adding its first Boeing 787s to its fleet in 2026. ASKY is also looking to add new destinations to their network in eastern and southern Africa, including Kigali, Rwanda; Zanzibar, Tanzania; and Lusaka, Zambia.

Air Traffic Recovery Across Africa

Passenger demand is a key driver for new route connections, adding to the availability of affordable flights, with air travel for African airlines inching towards 2019 pre-pandemic demand. International Air Transport Association (IATA) data shows that air travel for Africa rose 9.5% in December 2023 compared to December 2022.

African destinations are seeing increased interest from international travellers, with independent travellers driving leisure flight route recovery in Central and West Africa, according to travel analytics firm ForwardKeys. Its air ticketing data painted a healthy picture for international arrivals in popular safari destinations towards the end of 2023, with double-digit growth for Tanzania (+15%), Rwanda (+15%), and Namibia (+10%).

Connectivity to the continent is receiving a positive outlook, said Julia Simpson, President and CEO of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), who emphasized the growing desire for African destinations, noting that search trends reveal “an undeniable appetite for travel to destinations across Africa.”