Lessor Falko Regional Aircraft has completed the delivery of four Embraer E175s to South African carrier Airlink.
The final two aircraft of the batch were delivered in August and September. Airlink now operates E170, E175 and E190 aircraft from Falko’s managed portfolio. It also flies E195s, as well as earlier-generation ERJ-135s and 140s.
The E-Jets generally serve trunk routes in Southern Africa. The 135s and 140s typically serve thinner routes, as well as for route development and increasing frequencies.
“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,” Airlink CEO and MD, Rodger Foster said.
“The commonality with our other E-jets is also vital for air crew training, flight operations and technical support.”
Speaking to Aviation Week sister-magazine African Aerospace at the IATA annual meeting in Dubai recently, Foster said that the four E175s would replace three existing E170s, although the former model would only be within the fleet on a temporary basis.
Foster also said earlier this year that Airlink will seek to standardize cabin configurations across its E190 and E195 fleets to increase commonality, but will eventually have to move up to narrowbody aircraft, to compete with LCC FlySafair
“The addition of these [E175s] 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,” Falko’s CCO, Mark Hughes said.
“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.”
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