Qatar Airways is currently in the process of strategically investing in a few airlines. The first of those deals has been announced today, as the Doha-based airline is taking a stake in a major South African airline.
Continue reading: Qatar Airways Invests In South Africa’s Airlink
Share your questions, experiences, and thoughts below.
WONDERFUL NEWS!
Airlink is a great airline, and as SAA continues to struggle, and with BA / Kalula / Comair gone, Airlink has really stepped up their game service-wise. I hope for nothing but the best with this investment.
Excellent move by QR . Makes huge financial sense . Airlink run a good solid operation and this will give them an opportunity to grow . Hopefully flying on airlink will now give us an opportunity to earn avios
Let’s not forget QR has a stake in IAG and BA has a significant market share in South Africa so there are benefits there to be had in better coordination too.
How does BA have significant market share in SA?
Comair (which was the carrier BA used for intra-SA and intra southern Africa) has been gone for over two years now.
BA's 2023 market share in South Africa was in low single digits. Not sure how that is "significant" by any stretch of imagination.
No surprise here given recent comments by all parties involved. A good match for both sides (for now at least) which will no doubt be challenged at the IASC before eventually being approved.
Internationally they do
In peak times
BA operates double daily A380 to Johannesburg
double daily 777 to Cape Town as well 3 weekly from Gatwick
So they have a huge market share compared to other European carriers
Pre Covid BA even flew to Durban 3 weekly
And had four weekly morning flights to joburg so it is still a big player in the market
The Airlink network is heavily focused on Joburg (which makes perfect sense) and Cape Town (which can't be wrong either). But I don't understand the choices they make in (not) serving Durban (no flights to CT while they do find volunteers to fly to Bloem?) a well as serving some other unclear markets (is there such a thing as demand between Nelspruit and Livingstone?).
Hopefully they sync up the QR flight timing from DOH better with the Airlink southern Africa network. Having a good competitor to KQ and ET for many of the smaller African destinations--without requiring an overnight in JNB--would be FANTASTIC. Unfortunately we do numerous QR tickets with 23-25 hour layovers in JNB simply because the schedules are so close to correct, but just below the MCT.
A lot of tourists use Nelspruit to access the Kruger, and Livingstone is next to Victoria Falls. A niche market, perhaps, but both are on many tourists' bucket list and it may not be that tough to fill an ERJ-140 a few times a week.
Agree with the principle, though -- Airlink not flying CPT-DUR has always struck me odd, though SAA hasn't restored that either.