Privately owned premium regional airline Airlink recently expanded its facilities network beyond its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) base at the OR Tambo International Airport, in Gauteng, adding a new facility at Polokwane International Airport, in Limpopo, and expanding MRO capabilities at its Cape Town facility.

Since becoming an independent airline in 2020, Airlink has expanded its aircraft fleet to 75, operating about 250 flights a day to 45 destinations across South Africa and 14 countries throughout Southern and Eastern Africa, says Airlink executive manager and Aircraft responsible person Samuel Mampshika.

This expansion made it increasingly important to establish additional maintenance capability closer to Airlink’s aircraft operations.

Mampshika explains that the Cape Town maintenance station has traditionally focused on unscheduled maintenance, including aircraft defects arising during operations, such as landing gear system repairs and engine changes, which require hangar access and shelter from poor weather.

Airlink is actively expanding the facility’s capabilities to progressively develop it into a maintenance base with capabilities similar to those available at OR Tambo, where routine maintenance inspections can be fully executed.

This will alleviate having to routinely redirect aircraft to Johannesburg for scheduled maintenance, which is becoming increasingly unfeasible as the fleet grows.

Mampshika adds that Airlink previously outsourced aircraft painting to third-party providers. However, with aircraft requiring repainting about every five years and the continued growth of the fleet, it has become strategically important to make this capability an in-house offering.

“The decision was driven primarily by the need to improve quality control, scheduling and, most importantly, turnaround times.”

Initially, Airlink aimed to expand its existing maintenance footprint at OR Tambo, but suitable facilities were not available.

The company then evaluated alternative locations beyond Gauteng, with Polokwane emerging as the preferred option, which allowed for aircraft movements and swaps without incurring significant ferry costs. Moreover, the region’s warm, dry climate is well suited to the painting of aircraft.

Mampshika says Polokwane International Airport offered favourable lease terms and already forms part of Airlink’s scheduled network.

The 96 m × 46 m area can accommodate Airlink’s fleet, as well as the recently introduced Embraer E-Jet E2 fleet and allows for the repainting of up to 13 aircraft a year.

The investment to equip and prepare the hangarage for the necessary approvals was about R7-million and will pay for itself within 3.5 years, says Mampshika.

Network Logistics
Airlink has structured its maintenance network to ensure that its facilities have a specific role while collectively supporting its entire fleet. While capabilities are distributed across the network, all facilities are approved to maintain all its aircraft types.

Airlink employs 303 technical and engineering staff and ten apprentices across its main maintenance locations in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Polokwane, says Airlink Aircraft Maintenance Organisation executive and accountable manager Morgan Chikurunhe.

A three-site maintenance network ensures that aircraft no longer need to be routed back to OR Tambo for every maintenance event. This reduces pressure on the Johannesburg hangars, allows for work to be carried out simultaneously at different locations and enables Cape Town-based aircraft to receive more support locally, reducing avoidable delays.

However, he acknowledges added complexity in that decentralisation increases overhead costs and management challenges.

“While a single large facility would be simpler and potentially cheaper to manage, the three-site model provides the capacity needed to support Airlink’s growing fleet and route network more effectively,” Chikurunhe says.

Meanwhile, he notes that Airlink’s future MRO expansion will remain aligned with fleet growth and operational demand.

Capability development is ongoing, with selected component testing increasingly brought in-house where it improves quality control and operational efficiency.

Mampshika notes that a significant hurdle impacting on maintenance is the lack of available aircraft maintenance infrastructure at OR Tambo.

Airlink is prepared to invest in its own modern maintenance facilities at the airport, but has had difficulty in securing land and approvals. The company is at an advanced stage, with “drawings in-hand”, pending necessary approvals to begin construction.

“While passenger, terminal and runways infrastructure remain a focal point for [airport management company Airports Company South Africa], the same attention is not paid to the long-term maintenance requirements necessary to support growing airline operators,” says Mampshika