Namibia is poised to benefit from a codeshare agreement between British Airways and Airlink.
The partnership announced on Wednesday, will enable British Airways’ customers to connect to their final destination on a single ticket when traveling from or transiting through London, with connecting flights available from 18 towns and cities, such as Windhoek and Durban in South Africa.
Rodger Foster, CEO and Managing Director of Airlink, said, “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 choice with a wide range of itinerary options and connectivity possibilities.”
Neil Chernoff, British Airways’ Director of Network and Alliances, added, “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.”
Members of the Executive Club, British Airways’ loyalty program, can earn Avios, the program’s currency, when flying on Airlink flights on a British Airways’ codeshare journey. Avios can be used as part-payment towards reward flights or upgrades, as well as for hotel stays, car rentals, and more.
18 destinations are available as codeshare options when traveling from Heathrow via Johannesburg and Cape Town, including London Heathrow to Windhoek, Namibia via Cape Town or Johannesburg.
British Airways currently operates two daily flights 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.
Airlink, with a regional network spanning 14 countries including South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Namibia, operates from bases in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban.
In September last year, the airline acquired a 40% stake in FlyNamibia, a move aimed at optimizing its schedules to provide the most convenient connections with long-haul inter-continental flights provided by its other commercial partners, which include over 20 of the world’s leading global airlines.
