Flight Cancellations across Africa Heralds New Travel Disruption in Cabo Verde, Zimbabwe and South Africa as Cabo Verde Airlines, Air Zimbabwe and Airlink Grounds over Twenty Flights, Affecting Passengers

25 Sep 2025 By travelandtourworld

On September 24, 2025, disruptions to air travel across Africa were reported as Cabo Verde Airlines, Air Zimbabwe and Airlink grounded over twenty flights, causing widespread travel delays and cancellations. These disruptions have affected key travel routes between Cabo Verde, Zimbabwe and South Africa, leading to confusion for travelers relying on these essential services. Based on FlightAware data, thereâ€™s total of 25 cancellations along with 34 delays. These cancellations and delays, affecting both domestic and international flights, highlights challenges air travel. Passengers are urged to stay informed about their travel plans and check with airlines for updated schedules. With tourism and business travel between these countries at stake, the disruptions might even have broader implications on regional connectivity and the economy in the affected areas.

Cabo Verde AirlinesA total of 19 flight cancellations. The affected flights primarily involved domestic routes within the Cabo Verde archipelago:

Air Zimbabwe2 flight cancellations on September 24, 2025. The canceled flights were as follows:

AirlinkSouth African Airlink reported the cancellation of 4 flights:

The flight cancellations have affected several key routes across three countries, with a focus on domestic routes within Cabo Verde and South Africa and international routes between Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Cabo Verde Airlines reported 8 delayed flights, which accounted for 18% of its scheduled operations. The delays primarily impacted flights on domestic routes within the Cabo Verde archipelago. Passengers on these flights experienced varying wait times before departure, causing some disruptions to their travel plans.

No delays were reported for Air Zimbabwe during this period. The airlineÃ¢Â€Â™s operations were focused on flight cancellations and there were no additional reports of delays on the affected routes. Airlink recorded 26 delayed flights, which represented 9% of its total operations. The delays impacted both domestic and regional flights, primarily affecting routes within South Africa. Passengers on these delayed flights faced interruptions to their schedules, though the airline did not specify the exact duration of each delay.

The flight cancellations have had an impact on various airports and cities, with the following locations being directly affected:

These cities and airports play critical roles in the local and regional economy, especially for tourism. The disruptions have affected the flow of tourists and business travelers, which might have broader implications for the economies of these regions.

Local tourism in Cabo Verde, Zimbabwe and South Africa could face significant challenges due to these flight disruptions. Tourism is a vital sector for all three countries and these cancellations and delays may discourage travelers from planning trips to these destinations.

In Cabo Verde, where tourism is heavily dependent on air travel between the islands and mainland routes, these disruptions could significantly reduce visitor numbers. Flights between islands such as Praia, SÃƒÂ£o Filipe and Rabil are essential for inter-island tourism and their cancellation may discourage tourists from booking travel to these popular destinations.

Zimbabwe has already been grappling with economic challenges and the cancellation of flights between Harare and Johannesburg could impact the number of international tourists visiting Zimbabwe. Many tourists from South Africa, a key source of visitors, may now reconsider traveling to Zimbabwe due to the inconvenience caused by these disruptions.

In South Africa, the cancellations by Airlink, particularly on the Johannesburg-Richards Bay route, could affect domestic tourism. Richards Bay is a popular destination for both business and leisure travelers and these disruptions may lead to a decline in visitation.

Affected passengers should take immediate steps to mitigate the impact of these flight cancellations. Here are some suggestions for travelers:

In conclusion, the flight cancellations and delays reported by Cabo Verde Airlines, Air Zimbabwe and Airlink have caused travel disruptions across key routes. This information, sourced from FlightAware data, highlights the ongoing challenges faced by these airlines and the impact on passengers traveling within Cabo Verde, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Image Credit- Cabo Verde Airlines and AirlinkÃ‚Â