South African-based carrier Airlink has now officially been appointed by the government of the remote island of St. Helena to provide scheduled air services from Tambo Airport in Johannesburg, South Africa, to the island. Airlink will also operate a monthly charter service between St Helena and Ascension Island.
Until recently, the only scheduled way to travel to and from the the island, located in the Atlantic roughly 1,250 miles off the African coast, was aboard the Royal Mail Ship St Helena.
St. Helena is boasts a variety of landscapes. With hundreds of endemic species and impressive marine biodiversity, it is on the U.K.'s list as a possible future Unesco World Heritage Sites. It is also of important historical significance, being the place to which Napoleon was banished in 1815 after the battle of Waterloo. He died on the island at the age of 51, six years after he arrived.
Although a precise starting date for the commercial flights has not been announced, the St. Helena government said in a statement that it is expected that the monthly service between that island and nearby Ascension Island will start soon and operate on the second Saturday of each month.
To cater to the anticipated increase in tourists, hospitality group Mantis has announced it is in the process of renovating three Georgian buildings to form a luxury hotel. The Mantis St. Helena will comprise 30 beautifully decorated ensuite bedrooms, eight of which will be "heritage rooms" in the original buildings, built in the mid-18th century, and 22 newly constructed "contemporary rooms."
"Not many people have visited this fascinating, isolated part of the globe. Now, with the announcement of Airlink's tender success, it will be so much easier to explore the island's natural wonders, culture and intriguing history," said Adrian Gardiner, founder and chairman of developers, the Mantis Collection.