LONDON – Dubai-based carrier Emirates and South African regional carrier Airlink join forces by beginning a codeshare partnership.
A win for travelers where they can enjoy seamless connections between Emirates and Airlink.
A Codeshare partnership is meant by the idea of having to travel on a single ticket (booking), on either Emirates or AirLink.
Passengers can travel worry-free, without having to worry about re-checking in, and baggage tags.
AirLink is largely based in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban.
This means that passengers originating from these three South African cities can connect to other parts of the world with Emirates Airlines via its Dubai hub, under a single booking reference.
Whilst, Emirates flies to over hundreds of cities, can attract hundreds of thousands of passengers annually to 8 South African cities via its Dubai hub with its interline agreement with Air Link.
Passengers with a ticket booked from June 2022, can take advantage of this codesharing partnership with immediate effect.
Adding to what has been said, Emirates passengers can connect to eight destinations in South Africa, from Johannesburg, the country’s largest city to five destinations departing from Cape Town and one from Durban.
Other destinations include to include: Bloemfontein, Hoedspruit, Port Elizabeth, Kimberley, George, and East London.
The Dubai-based carrier flies double-daily to Dubai from Johannesburg, a daily flight from Dubai to Capetown, and five weekly runs from Dubai to Durban.
Instead of adding more destinations in the country using Emirates aircraft, the codeshare partnership is a smart move by both airlines and will increase the traffic between South Africa and the UAE, and to the world significantly.
This will provide a better travel experience for both ends and will drive demand. Individuals from South Africa can now travel the world easier with this new agreement.
AirLink is currently South Africa’s leading regional airline, operating a fleet of 57 aircraft. Being a regional carrier, these aircraft are often catered for their purposes: narrow bodies.
The Embraer E-Jet family. The larger ones comprise 3 E170 and 16 E190. Air Link also operates the E170 route to one of the world’s remote airports St. Helena Airport via Walvis Bay from Johannesburg.
Whereas the smaller E-Jet comprises 17 ERJ-135s and 11 ERJ-145s. Sadly the company will be phasing out 6 BAE Jetstream 41s.
With South African Airways currently not flying, will the codeshare partnership between Emirates and Air Link jeopardize the international recovery of South African Airways, as Emirates is strengthening its bond with a regional carrier?
Passengers will now have the better option of connectivity with Emirates Airlines, and will inevitably become a preferred carrier for local South Africans traveling abroad.
AirLink will emerge stronger than ever with a ‘backing’ of a global carrier, inevitably increasing its passenger traffic in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban.
Air Link is poised to grow even further with this code sharing thereof.
