Turkish Airlines, flag carrier of Türkiye, has signed a comprehensive codeshare agreement with South Africa-based Airlink to strengthen its presence on the African continent. The agreement, which will take effect on August 1, 2025, was signed at a ceremony held at Airlink’s Head Office in Johannesburg, with the participation of senior executives from both companies.
This strategic collaboration will significantly expand guests’ travel options by integrating Turkish Airlines’ unparalleled global network with Airlink’s extensive domestic and regional routes across South Africa and its region. The partnership enables seamless multi-sector travel on a single ticket, offering greater convenience and flexibility for international and regional travelers.
Under the new agreement, Turkish Airlines will place its “TK” flight code on Airlink-operated flights, allowing smooth connections from Turkish Airlines’ services into Cape Town and Johannesburg to a wide range of South African and regional destinations.
Commenting on the agreement Turkish Airlines Chief Investment & Strategy Officer Levent Konukcu stated; “As Turkish Airlines, we give importance to this cooperation with Airlink so as to enhance our connectivity in South Africa and the region. We aim to improve our partnership to maximize the travel opportunities offered to our guests. We believe that this partnership will not only bring benefits to both carriers from a commercial perspective but also improve the cultural and tourism relations between the two countries.”
Airlink CEO de Villiers Engelbrecht said: ”This collaboration with Turkish Airlines represents a significant opportunity to deepen ties between the two airlines. The agreement is a further endorsement of Airlink’s brand, while for our respective customers, it means more convenient travel options, with world-class service and easier access to destinations across our combined and extensive route networks.”
With this collaboration, Turkish Airlines will not only advance its strategic growth in Africa but also further strengthen its regional presence while offering enhanced options for its guests.
About Turkish Airlines:
Established in 1933 with a fleet of five aircraft, Star Alliance member Turkish Airlines has a fleet of 485 (passenger and cargo) aircraft flying to 353 worldwide destinations as 300 international and 53 domestics in 131 countries.
About Airlink
Airlink was established in 1992 and is Southern Africa’s premier, privately-owned regional airline.
With its fleet of over 65 modern jetliners, Airlink serves these cities and other destinations throughout Southern Africa as well as Madagascar and St Helena Island. It offers worldwide connections through its partners, which include many trusted and well-known intercontinental brands, 10 of which are codeshare partners, and its FlyNamibia franchise.
Airlink’s innovative “Skybucks” frequent flyer programme rewards its loyal customers.
Airlink is a member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), accredited under its IOSA safety audit programme, and certified through the IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) Organisation.