British Airways, Airlink sign codeshare deal boosting flight connectivity in SA

Source: Supplied

British Airways currently flies twice daily between Johannesburg and London Heathrow with A380 aircraft, twice daily between Cape Town and London Heathrow with B777 and A350 aircraft and three times per week between Cape Town and London Gatwick with B777 aircraft.

Neil Chernoff, British Airways director of network and alliances, says: "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. 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."

Airlink’s CEO and managing director, Rodger Foster, says: "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 choices with a wide range of itinerary options and connectivity possibilities."

In total, 18 destinations are available as codeshare options when travelling from Heathrow via Johannesburg and Cape Town. Examples include:

• London Heathrow to Durban via Johannesburg
• London Heathrow to Port Elizabeth, South Africa, via Cape Town or Johannesburg
• London Heathrow to Skukuza, South Africa via Cape Town or Johannesburg
• London Heathrow to Windhoek, Namibia via Cape Town or Johannesburg
• London Heathrow to Walvis Bay, Namibia via Cape Town or Johannesburg

Codeshare tickets are now available to book for travel from 15 February 2023 onwards. Other Southern African destinations are pending government approval and might join the codeshare agreement at a later date.