Qatar Airways Acquires 25% Stake in Airlink to Expand African Network
Qatar Airways Group has announced the acquisition of a 25% stake in Airlink, Southern Africa’s leading independent regional carrier, as part of its strategy to expand its operations across the African continent.
This investment is set to strengthen the existing code-sharing partnership between the two airlines and bolster Qatar Airways’ growth strategy in Africa, further establishing the airline as a key player in the continent’s economic development.
Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, Group Chief Executive Officer of Qatar Airways, expressed confidence in both Airlink and the African market, stating,
“Our investment in Airlink further demonstrates how integral we see Africa being to our business’s future. This partnership not only shows our confidence in Airlink, but also in the potential of the African continent, which we are excited to help realize.”
Airlink, which serves over 45 destinations across 15 African countries, is set to benefit from the partnership through increased capacity, expanded marketing reach, and enhanced efficiencies of scale.
Airlink Chief Executive Rodger Foster welcomed the investment, noting that it will unlock growth opportunities and strengthen existing partnerships.
“Having Qatar Airways as an equity partner is a powerful endorsement of Airlink and echoes our faith in the markets we currently serve and plan to add to our network,” Foster said.
The collaboration also aims to align the loyalty programs of both airlines—Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Airlink Skybucks—offering enhanced benefits to customers.
Qatar Airways currently operates flights to 29 destinations in Africa, with recent additions including cities like Abidjan, Abuja, Accra, Harare, Kano, Luanda, Lusaka, and Port Harcourt. The airline’s expansion in Africa reflects its commitment to growing its network on the continent since December 2020.
Qatar Airways, recognized as the ‘World’s Best Airline’ in 2024 for the eighth time at the Skytrax World Airline Awards, continues to lead the industry in excellence and innovation. The airline also received accolades for the ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Airline Lounge’, and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’.
Additionally, Qatar Airways has been recognized for its environmental efforts, being the first Middle Eastern airline to be certified at the highest level of IATA’s Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme.
With its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, consistently ranked as the ‘World’s Best Airport’, Qatar Airways continues to expand its global reach, now serving over 170 destinations worldwide.
