Airlink & Ethiopian Airlines boost access to Malawi

In response to popular demand, Airlink are adding a fourth weekly frequency on their Johannesburg-Lilongwe route with the introduction of a Saturday flight from 16 December 2023. Airlink will now fly to Malawi every day of the week, serving Lilongwe on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and Blantyre on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays.

All Lilongwe flights will depart OR Tambo International Airport at 11h00, arriving at 13h20. The return service departs at 14h10, arriving in Johannesburg at 16h35.

Malawi became the 16th country to be included in Airlink’s comprehensive route network from September 2023, flying comfortable and efficient 37-seat Embraer Regional Jets on both new routes (Lilongwe and Blantyre). This expansion just 2 months later is a clear indication of the high demand for Malawi flights.

As well as the 16 destinations that Airlink flies to itself, even more significant are their code-shares and interline agreements with no less than 31 international airlines. This level of connectivity means visitors to Malawi from all four corners of the globe can book their air travel with Airlink and its partners, and conveniently arrive in Malawi thanks to seamless connections. Airlink’s partnerships with the likes of  Air France, BA, Cathay Pacific, Delta, El Al, Emirates, Ethiopian, Etihad, Kenya Airways, LATAM, Qantas, Qatar Airways, KLM, Swiss, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Virgin Atlantic and more really will make Malawi even easier to get to from anywhere in the world!

Reflecting on the expansion on their service to Malawi, Airlink CEO and MD, Rodger Foster said: “As anticipated the market has responded positively to Airlink’s offering on the routes, which are all about providing reliable, convenient and great value connectivity for travel between the two countries.”

The tourism industry in Malawi ranks third in generating foreign exchange, after tobacco and tea. It plays a significant role in contributing to the country’s economic growth and stability, as well as its Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Rodger explains the importance of Airlink’s new venture.

“In addition to supporting the revitalisation of tourism, Airlink’s new routes will also be able to play a key role in the current Malawi Growth and Development Strategy, which aims to diversify the economy and build a wealthy, self-reliant and industrialised middle-income country,”.

In another boost to Malawi’s access from around the world, Ethiopian Airlines will resume flights to Madrid, via Rome, on December 9. Flights will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

Mesfin Tasew, the airline’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to reinstate our Madrid flights. The new services will continue to be vital in linking Africa with Spain’s arts and financial centre to create a critical link to the socio-economic relationships between Madrid and more than 60 African cities served by Ethiopian Airlines.

The route will be served by a Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner aircraft. Flight ET0712 will leave Addis Ababa at 00h05 and land in Rome-Fiumicino at 04h35, continuing on to Madrid at 05h35, arriving at 08h10. The return flight ET0713 will take off from Madrid at 19h25, arrive in Rome-Fiumicino at 22h00, depart Rome-Fiumicino at 23h00 and land in Addis Ababa at 07h30 the next day. With daily flights between Addis and Malawi, these new routes provide easy access to the Warm Heart of Africa now for travellers from Spain and Italy.

Ethiopian Airlines has also just begun new services to London Gatwick, with several more destinations in the pipeline.