‘No fire, no flights!’ — Airlink grounds Johannesburg–Maseru route over safety fears

Cape Town — Regional airline Airlink has announced the temporary suspension of its daily flights between Johannesburg and Maseru, citing safety concerns over inadequate emergency services at Lesotho’s Moshoeshoe I International Airport.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, Airlink said the decision was made after it was informed that the airport currently lacks “serviceable fire and rescue equipment,” a key requirement for operating commercial flights under international aviation regulations.

“Airlink regrets to announce the suspension of its daily flights between Johannesburg and Maseru due to the lack of serviceable fire and rescue equipment at Moshoeshoe I International Airport,” the airline said.

𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 | 𝟬𝟱 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟱 – Airlink regrets to announce the suspension of its daily flights between Johannesburg and Maseru due to the lack of serviceable fire and rescue equipment at Moshoeshoe I International Airport.

Normal services will… pic.twitter.com/FnaGqXg2hG

— Airlink (@Fly_Airlink) November 5, 2025

According to Airlink, operations will resume “as soon as the airport operator has restored the regulated emergency response capability, in line with international civil aviation requirements.”

The carrier assured passengers that safety remains its top priority and apologised for the inconvenience caused by the suspension. “We regret the disruption this may cause to our customers’ travel plans, but Airlink will not compromise on passenger safety,” the statement added.

The airline has advised affected passengers to check the status of flights through the FlyAirlink app, the company’s official website (www.flyairlink.com