South AfricaSouth African airlines

The largest aviation market in southern Africa, with South African Airways, Airlink and FlySafair and the Johannesburg hub.

3 airlines

Network airlines

Scheduled airlines with a hub and connecting flights – usually on short-, medium- and long-haul routes.

South African Airways

SA / SAA

South Africa’s state-owned flag carrier from Johannesburg: Star Alliance member since 2006, restarted in 2021 with a small Airbus fleet after business rescue and a flight pause – including four-engine A340-300s.

Low-cost carriers

Cheap point-to-point flights, often with a single-type fleet, many bases and short turnaround times.

FlySafair

FA / SFR

South Africa’s domestic market leader: FlySafair flies only Boeing 737-800s and launched in 2014 as the low-cost brand of cargo specialist Safair – which operated civil Lockheed L-100 Hercules for decades.

Regional airlines

Short routes with turboprops and regional jets, often as feeders to the big hubs.

Airlink

4Z / LNK

South Africa’s big regional airline from Johannesburg: an all-Embraer fleet from the small ERJ 135 to the new E195-E2, a network across southern Africa and the route to St. Helena.

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