DOHA: Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer Eng Badr Mohammed Al Meer has announced that the Qatari carrier has acquired a 25 percent investment stake in Airlink, the first independent regional airline in South Africa.
This came during a press conference held on Tuesday, in which he highlighted this acquisition, which will allow the national carrier of Qatar to reach passengers to and from regional cities in southern and eastern Africa who travel on Airlink flights, which will enhance Qatar Airways’ strategy for growth and expansion on the continent, as a vital element for the success of its economy.
EngAl Meer said: “Qatar Airways’ investment in Airlink demonstrates the importance of the African continent to the future of our business. This partnership demonstrates our confidence not only in Airlink, a resilient, financially strong airline with solid fundamentals but also in the huge potential of the African travel market, which I am delighted to be a vital part of.”
“Having Qatar Airways as a shareholder is a strong endorsement of Airlink and underscores our commitment to the markets we fly to, as well as to the markets we plan to add to our network. This transaction supports our growth and expansion plans through increased scale and market reach,” said Airlink CEO Rodger Foster, during the press conference.
“By supporting Airlink’s business, this investment will help to strengthen the partnerships that Airlink has had with other airlines over many years.”
It is noteworthy that this investment in Airlink, which operates flights to more than 45 destinations in 15 African countries, contributes to strengthening the codeshare partnership between the two carriers, and comes to complement the expansion plans of the national carrier of Qatar, the best airline in the world, and winner of many international awards; to enhance its operations throughout the African continent.
In a related context, the partnership between Qatar Airways and Airlink seeks to align the loyalty programmes of the two companies (Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Airlink Skybucks).
Qatar Airways currently operates flights to 29 African destinations, and the travel market on the continent has witnessed strong growth, as the Qatari carrier has added nine new destinations in Africa to its growing network of destinations since December 2020.
These additions included Abidjan, Abuja, Accra, Harare, Kano, Luanda, Lusaka and Port Harcourt, while Qatar Airways resumed flights to Cairo and Alexandria.
