Air Austral and Airlink have announced the signing of a bilateral Special Prorate Agreement (SPA), effective 15 October 2025.
Under this partnership agreement, Air Austral passengers will have access to Airlink’s network of 45 destinations across South Africa and the Southern Africa region. These destinations will be offered through connections via Johannesburg on Air Austral’s Réunion–Johannesburg flights.
The agreement allows Air Austral customers greater connectivity with the convenience of a single ticket, through check-in, and baggage checked through to their final destination. Travellers are able to connect seamlessly from Réunion to key destinations such as Cape Town, Durban, Windhoek, Gaborone, Lusaka, Victoria Falls, and more.
In return, Airlink can now offer its customers flights beyond Réunion on Air Austral’s network, including flights to Mauritius, Madagascar, Mayotte, the Comoros Islands, the Seychelles, and others with a single, seamless ticket.
“This partnership represents a major milestone in the development of our network. By joining forces with Airlink, we are offering our customers more choice and flexibility to access Southern Africa,” said Hugues Marchessaux, CEO of Air Austral
“This collaboration marks an exciting step forward in strengthening connectivity between the Indian Ocean islands and the African continent — unlocking new opportunities for trade, tourism, and cultural exchange. Together, we are building bridges that bring our regions closer and create lasting value for our customers,” said de Villiers Engelbrecht, Airlink CEO.
This agreement strengthens regional connectivity and supports the development of tourism and economic exchanges between Réunion Island and Southern Africa.
Air Austral, a French airline created and based in Reunion Island, is a major player in Indian Ocean transport services between mainland France and its regional connections. Under normal operations, the Airline operates to Reunion Island, Mauritius, Mayotte, the Comoros Islands, Madagascar, the Seychelles, South Africa and Thailand (Bangkok). The Paris – Reunion Island and Paris – Mayotte routes continued to operate, and the regional network is gradually resuming. In Paris-CDG the Airline has kept its code-share agreement with Air France to offer connections in Europe, and its partnership with TGV’Air for transfers between 19 French cities and Brussels.
Airlink, established in 1992, is Southern Africa’s premier, privately-owned regional airline. With its fleet of over 65 modern jetliners, Airlink serves these cities and other destinations throughout Southern Africa as well as Madagascar and St Helena Island. It offers worldwide connections through its partners, which include many trusted and well-known intercontinental brands, 11 of which are codeshare partners, and its FlyNamibia franchise.
