Airlink Plans Selective Franchise Expansion Following FlyNamibia Success

Airlink has taken a measured approach to growth in 2025 with a focus on expanding its franchising model and improving productivity.

New CEO, de Villiers Engelbrecht, told Travel News that while the airline had reduced its network capacity by 4% in 2024 compared with the previous year – a move that “proved to be a commercial success” – Airlink would continue to grow incrementally.

“We will continue to add flight activity and new routes, but these will be at the margin to increase the productivity and utility of our fixed cost base,” he said.

The airline is currently re-evaluating its long-term fleet plan to assess potential opportunities for network and schedule expansion.

“Our priority is to be competitive with a convenient, modern, reliable and comfortable offering while continuing to be financially sustainable and profitable,” Engelbrecht noted.

A key pillar of this strategy is expanding Airlink’s franchise model. After establishing a successful partnership with FlyNamibia, Engelbrecht said the airline was ready to roll out similar models elsewhere, selectively.

“Now that we have the blueprint, we intend to expand the model, but we will only do so where and when it makes commercial sense to do so,” he explained. “The FlyNamibia implementation was successful, and we believe it achieves what we initially planned.”

FlyNamibia continues to operate independently while extending Airlink’s 4Z reach, making the franchise model a low-risk method of growing Airlink’s presence in the region.

Cutting costs

Airlink is also sharpening its focus on cost control, particularly in the area of distribution. In 2024, the airline implemented NDC to reduce indirect booking fees and increase efficiency.

“Airlink’s decision to implement NDC as part of its greater distribution channel strategy was a success, and development in this regard is ongoing,” said Engelbrecht.

The airline has also partnered with Accelya to conduct continuous audits of its GDS billing to prevent overcharging by third parties. “We have a keen interest to reduce our distribution costs.”

Operational challenges persist

Engelbrecht flagged serious challenges facing the airline, particularly the ongoing crisis at South Africa’s Air Traffic and Navigation Services (ATNS), which he described as an “institutional failure”.

“Without doubt, the biggest headache for Airlink – and all carriers operating to, from and within South Africa – is the ATNS crisis, which continues to cause delayed, diverted and cancelled flights.”

According to Engelbrecht, ATNS’s failure to re-approve over 320 instrument flight procedures has led to significant flight delays, especially for runway 21 at OR Tambo International, where departure delays average 25 minutes and arrival delays 22 minutes.

“Our last measurement indicates that 80% of Airlink’s delays are now caused by ATNS.” He added that the airline was incurring significant costs as a result, both tangible and intangible, without any ability to recover these from ATNS.

“Airlink operates to less-frequented airports, which are not high on ATNS’s list of increasing priorities, and Airlink is therefore disproportionally affected by their continued failures.”

Engelbrecht also pointed to global supply chain constraints in the aerospace industry, where aircraft, engine and spare part shortages persist with no signs of abating.