Airlink has suspended its scheduled flights between Johannesburg and Maseru, Lesotho.
The Kingdom of Lesotho will thus have no air service from South Africa starting Friday 6 November.
This effectively leaves the small landlocked country without air connectivity as Airlink is the sole carrier flying into Maseru.
Lesotho had its own carrier, Lesotho Airways, which is now defunct.
AIRLINK SUSPENDS MASERU FLIGHTS
The reason for the suspension is down to Maseru’s airport not being able to comply with safety standards.
Maseru’s small airport is located at high altitude and can not handle large commercial aircraft. Hence the significance of the Airlink service.
Airlink provides the only connectivity to Lesotho. It operates three flights a day between Johannesburg and Maseru.
Daily flights affected by the disruption include:
| Flight No. | Route | Dep Arr |
| 4Z 050 | Johannesburg-Maseru | 06.25 07.25 |
| 4Z 051 | Maseru – Johannesburg | 07.55 09.00 |
| 4Z 052 | Johannesburg – Maseru | 09.45 10.45 |
| 4Z 053 | Maseru – Johannesburg | 11.15 12.20 |
| 4Z 062 | Johannesburg – Maseru | 15.00 16.00 |
| 4Z 063 | Maseru – Johannesburg | 16.25 17.30 |
The suspension of this air service is due to the lack of serviceable fire and rescue equipment at Moshoeshoe I International Airport.
Normal services will resume as soon as the airport operator has restored the regulated emergency response capability, in line with international civil aviation requirements for airports handling aircraft that are typically used for scheduled air services.
That said, this is not the first time that connectivity to the Kingdom of Lesotho has been cut off.
In December 2024, the airport experienced a similar situation, forcing Airlink to suspend scheduled services.
