Cape Town, South Africa (PANA) – All commercial flights between South Africa and St Helena have been suspended, abruptly severing the island’s primary air connection to the outside world.
Officials say the disruption is due to safety concerns at the airport, and flights should resume within weeks.
The suspension affects all Airlink services from Cape Town and Johannesburg.
Without flights, the only alternative is sea travel, a journey of around five days from Cape Town.
St Helena’s government said the disruption follows technical assessments and an expected decision by the aviation regulator to downgrade the airport’s firefighting category from Category 6.
The shutdown comes during peak tourism season, with several tour groups now stuck on the island.
Saint Helena is a volcanic and tropical island, located in the South Atlantic Ocean, some 1,874 km west of the mainland of the continent of Africa. It is known for being the site of the second period of exile of Napoleon Bonaparte, from his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815 until his death there six years later.
-0- PANA CU/MA 11Feb2026
