Eight months after the collapse of Comair, British Airways has announced its long-awaited re-entry into South Africa’s domestic market alongside new partner Airlink.

Improved connectivity

After hunting for a new franchisee to support its South African services, the British flag carrier has opted to expand its interline agreement with Airlink into a full codeshare partnership.

The South Africa-based carrier is currently the largest in the country, and the third largest on the continent, offering flights between its hubs in Cape Town (CPT) and Johannesburg (JNB) to an expansive list of destinations across Southern Africa and Britain’s South Atlantic Overseas Territories.

British Airways passengers traveling to South Africa will be able to connect to over 18 airports across Airlink’s network, including Durban (DUR), Port Elizabeth (PLZ), and Skukuza (SZK), as well as Namibian cities Windhoek (WDH) and Walvis Bay (WVB).

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“Our flights to Cape Town and Johannesburg continue to be as popular as ever with our customers, so we’re pleased to be able to open up more options in the Southern African region,” explained Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Director of Network and Alliances.

“Our partnership with Airlink means that customers will be able to book a full journey on one ticket, allowing seamless travel all the way from London to their final destination.”

British Airways currently offers two daily flights between London Heathrow (LHR) and Johannesburg, operated by its flagship Airbus A380 superjumbos. The carrier operates two separate services from London Heathrow and London Gatwick (LGW) into Cape Town. British Airways’ Heathrow – Cape Town route sees two daily frequencies, operated with its widebody Airbus A350s, while three weekly Boeing 777 flights connect Gatwick with Cape Town.

Like other British Airways codeshare agreements, Executive Club members will be able to earn Avios points when traveling on Airlink/BA services.

Big(ger) things for Airlink

While the collapse of Comair and Kulula briefly stalled South Africa's regional operations, Airlink stepped in to fill the void after a 40% decline in capacity. A range of direct services into Mozambique and Zimbabwe were added to the carrier’s schedule for August, while St Helena (HLE) returned to its network in October.

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During the early days of the British Airways franchisee’s collapse, many passengers were re-accommodated onto Airlink services, signaling the creation of a closer relationship between the two airlines.

Airlink CEO and Managing Director Rodger Foster celebrated the strengthened partnership between British Airways and its positive impact on connectivity within the region,

“This is an important next step in our partnership with British Airways, which has a phenomenal global reach into the most important markets for our region. The marriage of our two networks will benefit both British Airways’ and Airlink’s customers, giving them even more choice with a wide range of itinerary options and connectivity possibilities.

Despite the regional nature of its operations, Airlink has had little trouble finding interline and codeshare partners to bolster its operations and connectivity. In 2022, the airline teamed up with Middle Eastern aviation giants Emirates and Qatar Airways, strengthening South Africa’s wider tourist industry and expanding air connections into Asia and beyond.

Will you be flying on a British Airways and Airlink codeshare flight this year? Let us know in the comments.

Source: Zawya