Qatar Airways has acquired a 25 per cent stake in South African regional carrier Airlink, marking a strategic move to bolster its presence in the rapidly growing African aviation market. The investment underscores Qatar Airways’ commitment to expanding its operations on the continent and enhancing its connectivity within Africa.
The Doha-based flag carrier announced that this acquisition would strengthen its existing code-share partnership with Airlink, enabling both airlines to extend their market reach and operational capacity. Airlink, a privately-owned carrier, operates flights to over 45 destinations across 15 African countries, while Qatar Airways currently serves 29 destinations on the continent.
Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, Qatar Airways’ group CEO, emphasised the significance of this investment: “Our investment in Airlink further demonstrates how integral we see Africa being to our business’ future. This partnership not only demonstrates our confidence in Airlink, as a company that is resilient, agile, financially robust, and governed on sound principles, but also in Africa as a whole, showing the huge potential that I am delighted we are able to help start realising.”
The collaboration is poised to bring several synergies, particularly in aligning both carriers’ loyalty programmes—Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Airlink Skybucks—thereby offering enhanced benefits to passengers. Airlink’s CEO, Rodger Foster, stated that the transaction would unlock growth by leveraging economies of scale, increasing capacity, and expanding marketing reach. “By bolstering Airlink and its business, this investment will strengthen all of the existing airline partnerships Airlink has nurtured over the years,” Foster added.
The financial specifics of the deal have not been disclosed. However, this investment forms part of Qatar Airways’ broader strategy to solidify its global footprint, which includes stakes in other leading airlines. The state-owned carrier holds significant shares in International Airlines Group (IAG), the parent company of British Airways, as well as in Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific and Latam Airlines Group. Additionally, Qatar Airways is reportedly in negotiations to acquire a 20 per cent stake in Virgin Australia Airlines, and it is also exploring a minority investment in RwandAir.
This acquisition comes on the heels of a successful financial year for Qatar Airways. The airline reported a 39 per cent increase in full-year profit to $1.7bn (QAR6.1bn) for the fiscal year 2023/24, driven by robust international travel demand. Revenues rose by 6 per cent, amounting to a record QAR81bn.
