Qatar Airways Invests in Airlink to Boost African Network
- Aug 20, 2024
- 3 min read
Qatar Airways Group has acquired a 25% stake in Southern Africa’s premier independent regional carrier, Airlink. The announcement is a continuation of the multi-award-winning airline’s ambition to further develop its operations across the African continent.
The investment in Airlink – which flies to more than 45 destinations in 15 African countries – will enhance a code-sharing partnership between the two airlines. The deal will bolster Qatar Airways’ Africa growth strategy and cement its role as a key driver to the continent’s economic success.
On the announcement, Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Badr Mohammed Al-Meer, said: “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 huge potential that I am delighted we are able to help start realising.”
Airlink Chief Executive Rodger Foster said: “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. This transaction will unlock growth by providing efficiencies of scale, increasing our capacity and expanding our marketing reach. By bolstering Airlink and its business, this investment will strengthen all of the existing airline partnerships Airlink has nurtured over the years.”
The partnership between Qatar Airways and Airlink seeks to align both carriers’ loyalty programs - Qatar Airways Privilege Club and Airlink Skybucks.
Qatar Airways currently flies to 29 destinations in Africa, and there’s been strong growth in the market with new destinations added to the Qatar Airways network on the continent since December 2020. Abidjan, Abuja, Accra, Harare, Kano, Luanda, Lusaka, and Port Harcourt are the African cities newly added to the extensive Qatar Airways network, while Cairo and Alexandria were resumed.
A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways reclaimed the title of ‘World’s Best Airline’ in 2024 and for an unprecedented eighth time at the 2024 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. Qatar Airways has been the World’s Best Airline in 2011, 2012, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2022, and 2024. The airline continues to be synonymous with excellence, also taking home, ‘World's Best Business Class’, ‘World's Best Business Class Airline Lounge’, and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’. As a leader in industry innovation and digital adoption, Qatar Airways was also recently voted the 'World’s Best Airline Website' by the World Travel Tech Awards.
Qatar Airways was the first Airline in the Middle East to be certified to the highest level of IATA’s Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) programme, based on recognised environmental management system principles (such as ISO 14001). As an inaugural signatory to the Buckingham Palace Declaration in March 2016, Qatar Airways became the first airline globally to be certified to the industry standard for the prevention of illegal wildlife trafficking in aviation.
Qatar Airways currently flies to over 170 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, the ‘World’s Best Airport’, as voted by Skytrax in 2021, 2022, and 2024. In 2024, Hamad International Airport also received the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ accolade for 10 consecutive years, as well as ‘World’s Best Airport Shopping’ for the second year in a row.
Qatar Airways investing in Airlink to strengthen its African network is a bold strategic move that reflects the airline's long-term vision for connecting underserved markets and expanding its global footprint in meaningful ways. Managers studying high-impact institutional decisions like these are turning to a public sector governance course & workshop for managers in Doha, Qatar — where strategic investment, public-private partnerships, and governance frameworks are explored with genuine professional depth.
Thank you for sharing this insightful update. Qatar Airways’ investment in Airlink to strengthen its African network highlights the growing importance of strategic aviation partnerships in expanding connectivity, improving route efficiency, and supporting regional economic integration. It also reflects how state-linked enterprises and national carriers can play a significant role in advancing broader development and diplomatic objectives through commercial collaboration. These themes are highly relevant to professionals attending an executive seminar & course in public sector governance in Doha, Qatar, where participants explore governance models, state–enterprise relationships, and policy frameworks that guide strategic investments and international cooperation in key infrastructure sectors such as aviation.