South African airline Airlink announced on Monday that, because of increasing demand, it will increase the number of its flights between Johannesburg and the resort town of Vilanculos in Mozambique. The extra flights will commence on January 8, next year. However, in consequence, the carrier will cancel its direct flights between Mbombela/Nelspruit (in South Africa’s Mpumalanga province) and Vilanculos, after January 5.

“As the premier regional airline, Airlink sets out to provide travellers with the connections they desire,” explained airline CEO and MD Rodger Foster. “The market for combined bush and beach holidays is highly seasonal and as a result, we are transferring capacity to the Johannesburg-Vilanculos service which has shown significant traffic demand. Customers who would have travelled directly from Mbombela to Vilanculos will still be able to combine their bush safaris and exotic beach experiences, using our convenient connections through our Johannesburg-OR Tambo International [Airport] hub.”

Currently, Airlink operates daily services between Johannesburg-OR Tambo and Vilanculos, which are coded 4Z 260 and depart at 11h35 each day. The return flights are coded 4Z 261 and depart Vilanculos at 13h45.

But, from January 8, the number of the carrier’s flights between the two centres will increase to 11. The extra four flights will be flown on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The new flights from Johannesburg to Vilanculos will be coded 4Z 262 and depart at 14h15, arriving at their destination at 15h45. The consequent return flights will be coded 4Z 263 and leave Vilanculos at 16h15 and reach Johannesburg at 18h00.

The route will be operated by a mixture of Embraer E-Jets and Embraer ERJ regional jets. The E-Jets are smaller (150 seats or less) single-aisle airliners. Airlink operates the E170, E190 and E195 members of the E-Jets family. In Airlink service, the E170 carries 74 passengers in two classes, the E190 transports 98, also in two classes, and the E195 embarks 107, again in two classes. Of the ERJ family, the airline operates the 44-passenger ERJ-140 and the 37-seat ERJ-135 LR, both types being configured with single-class cabins.