Airlink (South Africa)
| Airlink | |
|---|---|
|
|
| IATA code : | 4Z |
| ICAO code : | LNK |
| Call sign : | LINK |
| Founding: | 1995 |
| Seat: |
Johannesburg , South Africa
|
| Turnstile : | |
| Home airport : | Johannesburg |
| IATA prefix code : | 749 |
| Management: | Rodger Foster ( CEO ) |
| Alliance : | - |
| Frequent Flyer Program : | Voyager |
| Fleet size: | 47 |
| Aims: | National and international |
| Website: | www.flyairlink.com |
Airlink (mostly only SA Airlink ; formerly South African Airlink ) is a South African regional airline based in Johannesburg and based at OR Tambo Airport .
history
Airlink was formed in 1995 from the merger of the airlines Lowveld Aviation Services , Magnum Airways , Border Air , Citi Air and Link Airways . In 1997 they entered into a strategic alliance with South African Express Airways and South African Airways and operated under the expanded name South African Airlink . This alliance was dissolved again in 2006, but Airlink continues to cooperate with the other two companies. SAA continues to be a shareholder with three percent.
A planned merger with Safair was canceled in October 2018.
From June 2020 [obsolete] Airlink intends to further separate from SAA and only fly under its own code 4Z. The subsidiary Eswatini Airlink is also to operate for the first time with an AOC from Swaziland .
Airlink announced in early February 2020 that a payout of 700 million rand by SAA was being withheld by the bankruptcy administration. The future of Airlink is also at stake.
Destinations
Airlink connects numerous cities within South Africa. Airlink also flies to other African destinations in Zimbabwe , Mozambique and Madagascar . In June 2017, the company won an order from the government of the British overseas territory of St. Helena, Ascension and Tristan da Cunha and has been serving St. Helena Airport on a weekly basis since October 14, 2017 .
fleet
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As of March 2020, the Airlink fleet consists of 47 aircraft with an average age of 16.9 years:
| Aircraft type | number | ordered | Remarks | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avro RJ85 | 1 | 83 | ||
| BAe Jetstream 41 | 5 | one inactive | 29 | |
| Embraer ERJ 135 | 16 | 37 | ||
| Embraer ERJ 140 | 11 | 44 | ||
| Embraer ERJ 170 | 3 | 74 | ||
| Embraer ERJ 190 | 11 | 98 | ||
| total | 47 | - |
Incidents
- On September 24, 2009, a BAe Jetstream 41 on Flight 8911 crashed due to an engine failure shortly after take-off from Durban in a suburb, injuring three people on board and one person on the ground. The captain of the machine died a few days later from his injuries. On December 23, 2009, all Airlink Jetstream 41s were grounded by the South African Aviation Authority with immediate effect for safety reasons . In addition to the crash on September 24, 2009, the reason for this is another incident on December 22, 2009, when an identical machine had to abort its take-off due to an engine failure. Both incidents appear to be the result of damage to the same engine component. However, Airlink cannot be held responsible for this error, as the component in question is not subject to maintenance by the respective airline.
See also
Web links
- Airlink website of the (English)
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b Airlink upgrades fleet , accessed on January 24, 2017.
- ^ South African Airways business rescue “may imperil the business of Airlink”. The Sentinel, February 6, 2020, p. 5.
- ↑ Merger planned between independent airlines SA Airlink and Safair. Business Day, November 27, 2017.
- ^ Airlink and Safair abandon proposed tie-up. Tourism Update, October 26, 2018.
- ↑ Airlink begins SAA uncoupling; Eswatini unit pursues own AOC. ch-aviation, January 20, 2020.
- ↑ South Africa's Airlink to sue SAA for $ 47mn. ch-aviation, February 4, 2020.
- ↑ flyairlink.com - Route Map (English), accessed on June 19, 2020
- ↑ Airlink receives order from St. Helena , accessed on June 12, 2017
- ^ Airlink Fleet Details and History. In: planespotters.net. Retrieved March 11, 2020 .
- ↑ saairlink.co.za - flights operating while jetstream 41 turboprop aircraft are grounded ( Memento of April 14, 2010 in the Internet Archive ), accessed on December 23, 2009
