Cape Town — Two Mozambican passengers have filed a lawsuit against Airlink for damages following their removal from a flight in Johannesburg.
The incident led to the suspension of services to Nampula, Mozambique.
Airlink claimed the passengers’ behaviour was unruly and threatening, and while the two were removed from the flight, their family members exited voluntarily.
Airlink, which operates 70% of commercial air travel between South Africa and Mozambique under the Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA), said that the lawsuit included a court application to seize its aircraft pending the outcome.
“In terms of the BASA, both states’ respective authorities are bound to intervene to prevent any unlawful seizure of aircraft operated by Airlink, including any threats of seizure. On this basis, Airlink has notified South Africa’s Department of Transport, the Department of International Relations & Cooperation, as well as the SACAA (South African Civil Aviation Authority) and its Mozambique counterpart authority, the IACM,” Airlink said.
Customer Notice | 07 January 2025 – Airlink regrets to announce the cancellation of today’s flights to and from Nampula in Mozambique. Affected customers will be given a full refund or re-routed via Maputo, Beira or Vilanculos. Airlink will continue to monitor the situation.… pic.twitter.com/5nwLPsswfp
— Airlink (@Fly_Airlink) January 7, 2025
Airlink CEO Rodger Foster said that the threat of aircraft seizure led the airline to suspend all flights to and from Nampula, acknowledging the potential impact on tourism and business.
Foster said Airlink has a strict zero-tolerance policy regarding unruly behaviour on-board its aircraft, as the safety and well-being of its passengers, crew, and aircraft come before any other operational consideration.
“Any interference, threats or belligerence towards our crew, or disruption to the crew’s primary task of providing passenger safety, puts the lives of all on-board at risk,” he said.
On 28 December 2024, a Mozambican court granted the applicants an interim order to seize three Airlink aircrafts, and a hearing was set for mid-January 2025. On the same day, Mozambican court officials tried to seize an Airlink aircraft at Nampula airport, but it was unsuccessful, The Witness reported.
Airlink said it has appointed legal counsel in Mozambique to establish its rights under Mozambican law to stop the Court Order’s execution, citing various reasons, including lack of jurisdiction and failure to serve the airline with a statement of claim.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
