SA AIRLINK’S impending
new commercial service
between Johannesburg
and St Helena will stop to
refuel at Windhoek, according
to a three-year contract signed
on Friday between the airline
and the St Helena Government
(SHG).
Airlink also aims to connect
Cape Town to St Helena
by co-ordinating its flight
schedules at Windhoek, says
SA Airlink ceo, Rodger Foster.
“Airlink’s flights between Cape
Town and Windhoek have
been timed so that minimum
connection times will be
complied with for the onward
connection to St Helena (and
vice versa).”
The airline has applied
for both stopover and Fifth
Freedom rights from the
Namibian Aeronautical
Authority. “Both are available in
terms of the respective bilateral
air services agreements
between Namibia and South
Africa and Namibia and the
UK,” says Roger.
The best scenario, says
Rodger, is that both are
granted, as this would enable
Airlink customers arriving from
a co-ordinated Airlink flight
from Cape Town to St Helena,
and vice versa, to change
aircraft (transfer in transit) in
Windhoek via stopover rights,
and separately, customers
originating their travel in
Windhoek or connecting from
other airlines would be able to
board the flight in Windhoek
under Fifth Freedom rights.
A start date for the service
will be announced once
Airlink has received regulatory
approval for the service from
the South African Civil Aviation
Authority and has conducted
a route-proving flight to the
island.
According to SHG, the
initial weekly service from OR
Tambo International Airport will
operate on a Saturday, using an
Embraer E190-100IGW aircraft
in two-class configuration
(business and economy). The
flight time from Johannesburg
to St Helena will be about six
hours 15 minutes, including a
half-hour stop in Windhoek.
Airlink will also operate a
charter service on the second
Saturday of each month
between St Helena and
Ascension Island.
SHG said information on
the commencement date,
ticket sales, cost of fares and
sales distribution, including for
Ascension Island, would be
issued in due to ourse.
St Helena flights to go via WDH
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