Qatar Airways Acquires 25% Stake in South Africa’s Airlink

Qatar Airways has acquired a 25% stake in Airlink, South Africa’s leading independent regional carrier. This strategic move aligns with Qatar Airways’ ongoing efforts to expand its operations across the African continent, reinforcing its commitment to the region.

Airlink, which operates flights to over 45 destinations across 15 African countries, will see an enhanced code-sharing partnership with Qatar Airways as a result of this investment. The deal is set to accelerate Qatar Airways’ growth strategy in Africa and solidify its position as a key contributor to the continent’s economic development.

Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, Group Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways, emphasized the importance of this investment, stating, “Our investment in Airlink further demonstrates how integral we see Africa being to our business’s future. This partnership not only highlights our confidence in Airlink as a resilient, agile, and financially robust company but also underscores our belief in Africa’s vast potential, which we are excited to help unlock.”

Rodger Foster, Chief Executive Officer of Airlink, echoed this sentiment, expressing optimism about the future of the partnership. “Having Qatar Airways as an equity partner is a powerful endorsement of Airlink and reflects our confidence in the markets we currently serve and plan to expand into. This transaction will drive growth by increasing our capacity, expanding our market reach, and providing efficiencies of scale. By supporting Airlink’s business, this investment will also strengthen all of our existing airline partnerships.”

The collaboration between Qatar Airways and Airlink also aims to align their loyalty programs, Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Airlink’s Skybucks, offering customers enhanced benefits.

Qatar Airways currently operates flights to 29 destinations across Africa, with nine new cities added to its network since December 2020. These include Abidjan, Abuja, Accra, Kinshasa, Harare, Kano, Luanda, Lusaka, and Port Harcourt. Additionally, flights to Cairo and Alexandria have been resumed, further extending the airline’s reach on the continent.