Airlink Crew Told To Stay Home After Passenger on Flight From St Helena Island Dies From Hantavirus
- Airlink has launched contact tracing after a passenger on flight 4Z 132 from St Helena Island on 25 April 2026 passed away from hantavirus
- The flight carried 82 passengers and 6 crew members, all of whom are being advised to reach out to South Africa's Department of Health
- The virus outbreak linked to the cruise ship MV Hondius had already put South African health authorities on high alert
Nerissa Naidoo, a journalist at Briefly News since 2024, previously worked as an editor, content creator, researcher, and ghostwriter before joining the team.
Source: Twitter
GAUTENG, JOHANNESBURG - Airlink issued an urgent public notice on 6 May 2026 after confirming that a passenger on one of its flights had died from hantavirus. This has prompted the airline to begin contact tracing for everyone on board. The passenger, a woman, had been travelling on Airlink flight 4Z 132 from St Helena Island on 25 April 2026, intending to return to the Netherlands via Johannesburg. She collapsed at OR Tambo International Airport and was taken to a health facility in Kempton Park, where she did not survive. Airlink was only notified of her passing and the suspected cause on Sunday, 3 May 2026, by South Africa's public health authorities.
Who was on the flight?
As previously reported by Briefly News, the flight carried a total of 82 passengers and 6 crew members. At the time of departure, Airlink said it had no indication that any passenger on board was unwell. The woman who passed away had left the cruise ship MV Hondius at St Helena Island before boarding the Airlink flight. Her husband, a 70-year-old man, had also fallen seriously ill on the same cruise ship. He did not survive upon arrival at St Helena Island, and his remains were still there awaiting repatriation to the Netherlands at the time of reporting.
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In response to the incident, Airlink handed over the names, contact details, and seating arrangements of all passengers and crew on the flight to the Department of Health to assist with contact tracing. The airline also began reaching out directly to those who were on board, advising them to contact the Department of Health by phone on +27 (0)76 273 4155 or by email at Pheoc@health.gov.za.
What is hantavirus?
The World Health Organisation and South African public health authorities confirmed they were responding to several hantavirus cases linked to passengers on the MV Hondius. The ship stopped at multiple destinations before the outbreak was identified.
The Department of Health confirmed on 4 May 2026 that a British national linked to the same ship was in intensive care in Johannesburg. The department called on the public to remain calm, stating there was no evidence of community spread.
Airlink noted that its Embraer aircraft fleet is fitted with High Efficiency Particulate Air filters, which continuously clean and renew cabin air throughout every flight.
Source: Getty Images
More on the hantavirus
A South African raised questions online about why hantavirus patients linked to a foreign cruise ship were being treated in Johannesburg.
A detailed timeline of the MV Hondius outbreak showed that 23 days passed between the first death on the ship and the world being told it was hantavirus, raising serious questions.
A marine engineer took to TikTok to explain why a hantavirus patient was brought to South Africa for treatment.
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Source: Briefly News
