Development
Airlink, Newly Independent, now
Airlink’s 92-seat Embraer 190s form the backbone of its operation, with just under half of all seats in the southern hemisphere summer.
SOUTH AFRICA’S AIRLINK BECAME an independent carrier in late 2020 as its tie with South African Airways was severed. The regional airline now has almost 1.2 million seats this winter with three-quarters deployed domestically, OAG schedules data shows. Airlink is now the third-largest carrier within Africa by seats – rising to second when flights are considered. This is obviously from its low-capacity aircraft. Airlink has six types of aircraft – from Embraer 190 to Cessna Caravan – indicating the breadth of its network. 34
January-February 2021
It also suggests the degree to which it attempts to right-size, where infrastructure allows, although it is a very complex mixture.
Thick routes rule for Airlink Airlink has 63 routes in the southern hemisphere summer, with its top route – Cape Town to Johannesburg – having nearly one-fifth of its capacity. Deploying Embraer 190s on South Africa’s – and the continent’s – top market, located some 1,271 kilometres apart, is decidedly sub-optimal, at least in normal times.
DAWN
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