South African carrier Airlink is launching Cape Town’s first scheduled service to Mozambique in more than eight years.

The airline plans to connect Cape Town (CPT) with Mozambique’s capital Maputo (MPM) from Aug. 31. Flights will be three times per week using Embraer 135 aircraft.

“Airlink is responding to the call of the traveling market for a direct service between the two coastal cities, which are also growing important centers of economic activity, including trade and tourism,” Airlink CEO and MD Rodger Foster said. “By flying direct, instead of via Johannesburg, we will more than halve the door-to-door traveling time.”

Mozambique is an important market from South Africa for Airlink, which currently provides flights from Johannesburg (JNB) to Maputo, Beira, Nampula, Pemba, Tete and Vilanculos.

Cape Town and Maputo were last served nonstop on a regular basis by South African Airways, a service that ended in May 2014. The 1,611-km (1,000-mi.) route has remained unserved ever since, leaving CPT without direct scheduled flights to Mozambique.

“This new route also supports Airlink’s strategy to grow and develop its network and schedule of flights connecting Cape Town with other key business and tourism destinations throughout Southern Africa,” Foster said.

Airlink’s flights from CPT will depart at 5.10 p.m. on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, arriving in Maputo at 7.40 p.m. The return flight leaves at 6.10 a.m. the following day and returns to Cape Town at 9 a.m.

Other new routes being launched by Airlink over the coming weeks include Johannesburg to Victoria Falls (VFA) in Zimbabwe, which will be daily from Aug. 15, and Johannesburg to Antananarivo (TNR) in Madagascar, which will be daily from Oct. 16.