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By Taylor Rains
Emirates expands presence in South Africa with new interline agreement with Airlink
Airlink, based in Johannesburg, and Emirates, based in Dubai, have formed a new interline agreement that will connect passengers from the UAE capital to more than 45 destinations in South Africa and neighboring countries. The new deal comes later Airlink, a South African regional airline, cut its association with South African Airways in March.
The new partnership of the two airlines will allow passengers flying from Dubai to Johannesburg and Cape Town to continue to 45 destinations on the Airlink network. These markets include 20 in South Africa, such as Upington, East London, George, and Port Elizabeth, and 25 in neighboring countries, including Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe; Livingstone, Zambia; and Vilanculos, Mozambique. As part of the interline agreement, passengers will be booked on a single ticket and their luggage will be checked in to their final destination. Additionally, customers can purchase tickets on both airlines through Emirates website or through an online travel agency.
Airlink is a privately owned company with a fleet of more than 50 aircraft, consisting primarily of the Embraer 135, Embraer 140 and Embraer 190. It operates under its own code “4Z” and should not be confused with SA Express, which suspended operations indefinitely on March 18th.
This is not Airlink’s first partnership with a major airline. The regional carrier recently entered into a similar interline agreement with Qatar Airways. And, until March 2020, Airlink acted as a feeder carrier for South African Airways to connect the largest airline’s major hubs with the region’s smaller markets.
Emirates resumed international service between Dubai and South Africa in early October, resuming flights to Cape Town and Johannesburg on October 1 and flights to Durban on October 8. The new partnership is a step forward for Emirates and its expansion into the South African markets.
“Emirates is pleased to partner with Airlink on a new interline agreement that will help us strengthen our presence and provide customers with more choice, flexibility and enhanced connections in 45 cities in South Africa,” said Emirates President Tim Clark, it’s a statement. “We are committed to our operations in South Africa, as we continue to look for ways to build our extended network for clients and help them benefit from various travel options.”
Airlink also sees promise in the partnership, seeing it as an opportunity to help fuel his recovery after the impact of the pandemic.
Airline CEO Roger Foster said: “We are proud and excited about our new interline commercial agreement with Emirates. We have deep respect for the airline, its values and its global reach. We are confident that the relationship will provide better travel options to clients given the designed interconnectivity that will be enabled at the OR Tambo International Airport and the Cape Town International Airport ”.
While the new interline agreement may attract more passengers to explore South Africa’s smaller markets, the country has strict entry rules. All new Emirates flights to South Africa are operated with enhanced health and safety measures, and passengers must have a negative PCR test no more than 72 hours before arriving in the country. Also, if any passenger shows signs of COVID-19, they will be asked to take another test upon arrival. If the test is positive, they must be quarantined for ten days at your expense.
In addition to testing, South Africa has also created a list of 22 high-risk countries whose citizens are prohibited from entering for leisure travel, such as India, Belgium and the United States. The only exception is if the person traveling has spent ten days in a low or medium risk country immediately before traveling to South Africa.
Taylor Rains graduated from the Florida Institute of Technology with a Bachelor’s degree in Aviation Management in 2017. He has worked in the aviation industry for the past five years and has a specialty in Airline Safety Analysis Part 121, but has also worked for a part 135. company in Alaska. His experience has allowed him to work in many areas of aviation, including airport operations, flight operations, security, on board, dispatch and maintenance. Taylor is also an avid traveler and has used her flight benefits to fly on as many airlines and aircraft types as possible. So far his favorite flight has been aboard the KLM Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
