Privately-owned African regional carrier Airlink has revealed a new livery as part of a split from former franchise partner South African Airways
The airline’s new look is designed to distinguish itself as a completely independent carrier.
The livery will be applied to Airlink’s fleet over the coming months, with the re-painting coinciding with each aircraft’s next scheduled deep-maintenance overhaul to avoid disrupting the airline’s operations.
The first aircraft bearing the new colours will resume service in early December, in time for the southern hemisphere summer holiday season.
Airlink carried two million passengers last year on more than 63,000 flights, on 55 routes to 39 destinations in nine African countries and St Helena Island.
Services have re-started to all 15 of South Africa’s main economic and tourist centres with the phased relaxation of domestic and regional travel restrictions.
The airline recently started frequent daily services from Johannesburg to Cape Town, Durban, Port Elizabeth and East London.
It also inaugurated its first new routes linking Johannesburg with Maputo and Windhoek in Namibia.
Flights to Botswana resume next week and to Madagascar in December.
A St Helena service will re-commence “as soon as it is permissible”.
Links between the South African capital and Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo will operate from November 30 and to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania on December 1.
Managing director Rodger Foster said: “Independence and freedom are Airlink’s core propositions.
“We offer the freedom of the broadest route network and most comprehensive flight schedule in the South African domestic and Southern African regional markets, along with convenient connections with our global partners’ services, which gives our customers the choice of flights and seamless connections, whether travelling for business, personal or pleasure.
“In celebrating our independence, we are giving our customers added free benefits, such as free check-in allowance for baggage and sporting equipment, a business class service on select flights as well as complimentary onboard catering.”