Airlink (4Z/LNK) is one of South Africa’s leading airlines, based at Cape Town International Airport and Johannesburg OR Tambo International Airport, the country’s main cities, operating a fleet of narrow-body aircraft.

SA Airlink

The airline was founded in 1992 and began operations in 1995 under the name SA Airlink. That same year, it joined the South African Airways frequent flyer program and aligned its branding with South African Airways, the country’s flag carrier.

Its relationship with South African strengthened over the months, merging with South African Airways and South African Express in a strategic alliance, which led to the creation of the largest route network in Africa.

Airlink

However, in 2006, South African Airlink left its strategic alliance with South African Airways, removing the term “South African” from its name but maintaining its franchise agreement. This allowed the airline to operate independently with its own structure, introducing its new livery shortly thereafter and completing the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA), being assigned the code 4Z.

The airline’s first scheduled flight after its exit from the alliance with SAA took place in January 2006, using a Jetstream 41. At that time, its fleet consisted of 13 British Aerospace Jetstream 41s and 5 Embraer ERJ-135LRs, which already featured the carrier’s new livery with the country’s distinctive colors, along with the bird emblem.

Airlink continued to develop its operations in South Africa, as well as in central and southern Africa, adding new international routes and Embraer aircraft to its fleet, which came to replace the Jetstream 41, British Aerospace 146-200, British Aerospace Avro RJ85, Boeing 737-200s, and Fokker 28s.

The first Embraer

Still operating under the name South African Airlink, the airline incorporated its first two Embraer aircraft into its fleet in May 2001, both ERJ-135LR models, receiving the registrations ZS-SJW and ZS-SJX. Later that year, it acquired two more aircraft, registered ZS-OTM and ZS-OTN, and in April 2003, the aircraft registered ZS-OUV.

As Airlink, the first Embraer aircraft added to its fleet was the Embraer ERJ-135LR registration ZS-SNX, in January 2010, arriving from Chautauqua Airlines, a US airline. Twelve more Embraer ERJ-135LRs joined Airlink until 2016, which continue to operate with the South African airline.

In 2016, with the aim of further expanding its operations, the airline incorporated its first Embraer ERJ-140LR aircraft, similar to the Embraer ERJ-135LR but configured with a few more seats and slight operational improvements. ZS-ALL and ZS-ALM were their registrations, with several more arriving between 2017 and 2018.

The first brand-new Embraer

Airlink achieved a historic milestone in its fleet in 2017, by adding its first brand-new Embraer 190, which received the registry ZS-YAD.

This aircraft arrived in Johannesburg on December 23rd, 2017, from São José dos Campos (Brazil), where Embraer has its main facilities, making stopovers in Recife, Abidjan, and Libreville. It began operating in January 2018.

The Embraer 190 ZS-YAD was the fourth E190 introduced by Airlink into its fleet, being all of them added in 2017. ZS-YAA, ZS-YAB, and ZS-YAC, its first three E190, were acquired from Virgin Australia, which had retired them from service in 2016.

Airlink currently owns 29 Embraer 190 aircraft, all configured with 6 seats in Business and 92 seats in Economy. Its entire fleet of E190s continues to operate, as do the six Embraer 195s added between 2022 and 2023, its largest aircraft in operation to date.

With regard to other aircraft added to its fleet, also Embraer, between late 2017 and early 2018, three Embraer 170s were incorporated, and in 2024, four Embraer 175s. The E170s with registration numbers ZS-YBA, ZS-YBB, and ZS-YBC, and the E175s registered as ZS-YBD, ZS-YBE, ZS-YBF, and ZS-YBG, remain in service.

The first brand-new E2

Eight years after adding its first brand-new aircraft to its fleet, Airlink announced another historic milestone: an agreement with Azorra, one of the leading aircraft leasing companies, to add 10 new Embraer E195-E2 aircraft, scheduled to be delivered starting in 2025.

The first Embraer E195-E2, registration ZS-ARF, departed São José dos Campos on September 22nd at 21:00 local time bound for Cape Town, where it landed at 09:58 local time on September 23rd after 7 hours and 58 minutes. A few hours later, this same aircraft took off for Johannesburg, Airlink’s main base, landing at 13:09 local time.

Four days later, the second brand-new Embraer E195-E2, registered as ZS-BJW, arrived in Johannesburg from São José dos Campos via Cape Town. In early October, Airlink added its third E195-E2, bearing the registry ZS-LKA, which flew non-stop between São José dos Campos and Johannesburg in 8 hours and 19 minutes.

At the time of publication, Airlink’s three Embraer E195-E2 aircraft are parked at OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg, undergoing the necessary certification process with the South African Civil Aviation Authority. Initially, the airline planned to begin regular operations with these aircraft in December 2025, but this has been postponed until early 2026.

First E195-E2 operator in Africa

The E195-E2s, featuring a two-by-two cabin layout for 136 passengers, are scheduled to operate their first commercial flight on January 31st, 2026, starting with the Johannesburg – Nelspruit, Nelspruit – Cape Town, Cape Town – Hoedspruit, and Hoedspruit – Johannesburg routes.

From February 1st, 2026 onwards, in addition to the above-mentioned routes, it will make its first flight on the Johannesburg – Cape Town service, the main route in South Africa, which currently exceeds 400 flights per week. Airlink offers 40 weekly flights with Embraer 190 and Embraer 195 aircraft, and the introduction of the E195-E2 will bring an increase in seats between the two cities.

Airlink has 72 aircraft in its fleet, all of them Embraer, including 16 Embraer 135s, 11 Embraer 140s, 3 Embraer 170s, 4 Embraer 175s, 29 Embraer 190s, 6 Embraer 195s, and 3 Embraer E195-E2s. It still has seven E2s to incorporate, with this order expected to be completed in 2027. 

In terms of routes, Cape Town and Johannesburg are its main hubs, offering significant connectivity within South Africa, as well as to other countries in southern Africa.

Cape Town

Johannesburg

Furthermore, Airlink operates several routes, both domestic and international, bypassing Cape Town and Johannesburg, with the following weekly frequencies and aircraft.

• Vilankulo (VNX) – Nelspruit (MQP): 4 weekly · Embraer 135
• Durban (DUR) – Harare (HRE): 7 weekly · Embraer 135 
• Durban (DUR) – Port Elizabeth (PLZ): 11 weekly · Embraer 135
• Nelspruit (MQP) – Durban (DUR): 7 weekly · Embraer 135
• Nelspruit (MQP) – Livingstone (LVI): 2 weekly · Embraer 135
• Nelspruit (MQP) – Victoria Falls (VFA): 7 weekly · Embraer 135

Cover photo: © Shev_Photography – JetPhotos (Johannesburg, South Africa)