#COVID19 SPREAD ONCE AGAIN IMPACTS ON AIR CONNECTIVITY
(Posted 13th January 2021)
Airlink, the privately-owned regional airline, regrets to announce the suspension of the daily service between Johannesburg and Maseru from tomorrow, 14th January, following the Lesotho government’s ban of passenger flights to and from Moshoeshoe I International Airport.
“We regret, but respect the decision to temporarily halt passenger flights to Maseru’s Moshoeshoe I International Airport, which is Lesotho’s primary air transport gateway and we apologise to our customers for the inconvenience and disruption to their business that this will cause,” said Airlink Managing Director and CEO, Rodger Foster.
This afternoon Lesotho’s authorities issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) prohibiting all international, regional and domestic flights to and from the kingdom from midnight tonight until 27 January 2021 as one of its measures to contain COVID-19 infections.
“The well-being of our customers, crew and staff is our priority. Although we are required to suspend our Maseru flight, we continue to operate all of our other flights to destinations throughout Southern Africa and within South Africa. By diligently applying and adhering to stringent bio-security protocols, we have demonstrated that flying is the safest way to travel and that we can continue to support and enable business, tourism and trade without spreading the Coronavirus,” added Mr Foster.
“Airlink is looking forward to re-establishing the vital connections that sustain the all-important trade, business, tourism and family ties between the Mountain Kingdom and its neighbour,” he concluded.
Daily flights affected by the suspension of services are:
4Z 052 Johannesburg – Maseru
4Z 053 Maseru – Johannesburg
Airlink’s flight schedule is available on their website: www.flyairlink.com/flightschedule
Customers should consult Airlink’s website https://www.flyairlink.com/ – manage, or contact their reservations office on tel +27 11 451 7300 or their travel agencies for assistance with booking changes and refunds.
This follows a suspension of flights to Chad earlier in the month, when the government there also pulled the plug, making air transport, other than for cargo services, impossible for the time being. In Chad at least seven international airlines were affected by the sudden decision, among them Ethiopian, Air France, Egypt Air and Turkish Airlines.
