Turkish Airlines, which is the flag carrier of Türkiye, has signed a comprehensive code-share agreement with South Africa-based regional airline Airlink to strengthen its presence on the African continent.

Under the new agreement, Turkish Airlines will place its “TK” flight code on Airlink-operated flights, allowing smooth connections from Turkish Airlines’ services into Cape Town and Johannesburg to a range of South African and regional destinations.

This strategic collaboration, which will take effect on August 1, will significantly expand guests’ travel options by integrating Turkish Airlines’ global network with Airlink’s extensive domestic and regional routes across South Africa and its region, the airline says.

The partnership enables seamless multi-sector travel on a single ticket, offering greater convenience and flexibility for international and regional travellers, Turkish Airlines states.

“With this collaboration, Turkish Airlines will not only advance its strategic growth in Africa but also further strengthen its regional presence while offering enhanced options for its guests,” the airline says.

“As Turkish Airlines, we give importance to this cooperation with Airlink so as to enhance our connectivity in South Africa and the region. We aim to improve our partnership to maximize the travel opportunities offered to our guests,” says Turkish Airlines chief investment and strategy officer Levent Konukcu.

“We believe this partnership will not only bring benefits to both carriers from a commercial perspective but also improve the cultural and tourism relations between the two countries,” he says.

The collaboration with Turkish Airlines represents a significant opportunity to deepen ties between the two airlines, says Airlink CEO de Villiers Engelbrecht.

“The agreement is an endorsement of Airlink’s brand while it means more convenient travel options for our respective customers, with world-class service and easier access to destinations across our combined and extensive route networks,” he says.