Airlink is ready for the Christmas and New Year rush, with its inaugural flights of its new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft entering into service today from O.R. Tambo International Airport to Durban’s King Shaka International Airport.
Airlink will add capacity to high-demand routes, including Cape Town–Hoedspruit and Cape Town–Mbombela (Nelspruit).
Airlink is the first airline in Southern Africa to operate the type, having taken delivery of the first three of ten aircraft leased from Azorra, a Fort Lauderdale-based lease, finance, and asset management firm.
The remaining seven aircraft, which will feature a two-class cabin configuration, are scheduled to be delivered from Embraer’s factory in Brazil over the next two years.
These next-generation jets, which seat up to 136 passengers in a comfortable two-by-two layout with no middle seats, offer improved fuel efficiency and extended range, opening up opportunities for future network expansion. Airlink is the first airline in Southern Africa to operate the type, with the aircraft entering service in time for the festive season travel rush.
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