Airlink restores Johannesburg–Maseru flights after brief suspension

November 6, 2025 in Business, Companies, Travel & Tourism by Editor

Small narrow bodies such as the Embraer’s E190 series are key to increase intra-African connectivity

Airlink will resume its daily flights between Johannesburg and Maseru tomorrow (Friday, November 7), following the restoration of emergency fire and rescue services at Moshoeshoe I International Airport.

The airline temporarily suspended operations on Wednesday after the Lesotho airport operator reported that its fire engines were unserviceable, leaving the facility unable to meet international safety requirements for scheduled air services.

In a statement, Airlink said it had received confirmation from Lesotho authorities that suitable replacement fire and rescue equipment had now been secured, paving the way for normal operations to restart.

“The safety and well-being of our passengers, crew and aircraft are our primary operational considerations,” the airline said. “We were obliged to suspend flights while the airport operator worked to restore the regulated emergency response capability.”

Airlink, which operates three return flights daily between Johannesburg and Maseru, said it regretted the inconvenience caused to passengers by the disruption. The airline advised customers to check their booking status through Airlink or their travel agents as normal service resumes.

Airlink’s Johannesburg–Maseru route is a key regional connection, supporting business and government travel between South Africa and Lesotho. The suspension had affected six daily flights on the route, including the following departures and arrivals:

• Johannesburg–Maseru: 06:25, 09:45, and 15:00
• Maseru–Johannesburg: 07:55, 11:15, and 16:25