FlyAirlink e175
Falko Regional Aircraft Limited (Falko) completed the delivery of four Embraer E175 on lease to Airlink in South Africa.
The first two deliveries occurred in 4Q23, and the final two deliveries in August and September 2024. Airlink now operates E170, E175, and E190 aircraft from Falko’s managed portfolio.
“We have successfully delivered four E175 aircraft to leading Johannesburg-based airline, Airlink. The addition of these aircraft into Airlink’s fleet marks another significant step by the airline to enhance its regional connectivity and fleet capabilities across Southern Africa, and we are proud to be able to support them in their growth journey.” Mark Hughes, Falko’s Chief Commercial Officer, commented. “The transaction further expands Falko’s footprint in Africa, an increasingly important market for regional aircraft. We expect to see significant growth and opportunities in the African aviation market over the next couple of decades as countries look to improve connectivity across and into the continent in a bid to facilitate economic growth.”
Airlink CEO and Managing Director Rodger Foster said: “The leased Embraer E175s from Falko provide us with the flexibility to provide a consistent top-quality onboard service across a wider band of routes across our network. Currently, we serve over 45 destinations in Southern and East Africa, and we reach markets across the globe through our code-shares and other partnerships with 36 of the world’s leading international airlines. The commonality with our other E-jets is also vital for aircrew training, flight operations, and technical support”.
Airlink is Embraer’s largest African customer. The range of models it flies includes the ERjs, enabling the airline to cherry-pick markets. This is important as the Southern African market is arguably over-traded. Airlink’s competitors typically operate single-ailes like the 737-800 (Safair) or the A320 (SAA, Lift), which means these operators benefit from lower seat costs. Airlink is working on a plan to consider matching this capacity, but only in a few years.
Airlink has a fleet that allows it to undertake route proving using the ERJ and, if traffic picks up, upsize to the E170/5. This enables Airlink to cover markets that are otherwise overlooked. Given the rise in overseas tourism growth in Southern Africa, this ability is helpful. Airlink has codeshare agreements with big partners whose passengers want to visit game parks and other out-of-the-way places.
Selecting the E175 is right on, as we discussed recently on this podcast. The E175 has typically found the United States regional airlines to be its primary market. Recently, the E175 has been finding new operators across Africa as its regional capabilities are proving advantageous. The E175 is small enough to serve most African airports at low-risk economics.
