Qatar Airways has acquired a 25% stake in South Africa’s regional airline Airlink as it continues to strengthen its presence in the African aviation market.
The company’s part ownership will fuel a number of partnerships between the two airlines including cooperation on loyalty programmes and an enhanced code-sharing partnership during a period of expansion for Qatar’s flag carrier.
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Qatar Airways Group CEO Badr Mohammed Al-Meer said: “Our investment in Airlink further demonstrates how integral we see Africa being to our business’ future.
“This partnership not only demonstrates our confidence in Airlink, as a company that is resilient, agile, financially robust and governed on sound principles, but also in Africa as a whole, showing huge potential that I am delighted we are able to help start realising.”
The announcement comes just a few months after Al-Meer teased an investment into an African airline and described the south of the continent as “the last piece of the equation” for its operations in the region.
Qatar’s presence in the continent has expanded rapidly since it launched its first African destinations in 2020 and now includes services to 29 cities in Africa as well as a 60% stake in Rwanda’s newest airport.
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By GlobalDataAccording to reports, the airline is also in the final stages of acquiring a 49% stake in RwandAir, the country’s flag carrier, as part of its effort to capitalise on the strong growth forecast for Africa’s air travel market.
Airlink is also expected to receive a significant boost to its operations thanks to the Qatar Airways investment, with CEO Rodger Foster saying the partnership would allow it to add new destinations to its network.
He said: “This transaction will unlock growth by providing efficiencies of scale, increasing our capacity and expanding our marketing reach.
“By bolstering Airlink and its business, this investment will strengthen all of the existing airline partnerships Airlink has nurtured over the years.”
Airlink was launched in 1992 and is now one of the biggest domestic airlines in Africa, with flights to 45 destinations in 15 countries across Africa.
