Dubai & Johannesburg, Monday, November – TPConnects Technologies has announced the integration of Airlink, Southern Africa’s premier full-service regional airline, onto its Iris aggregator platform. Travel sellers can now access Airlink’s extensive regional network through Iris, joining TPConnects’ growing portfolio of 65+ connected airlines across NDC, LCC, and GDS content on a single, unified platform.
The integration brings Airlink’s network of 67 routes across 47 destinations in 16 African countries directly to travel sellers, with full NDC v21.3 capabilities:
- Real-time shopping and booking with access to Airlink exclusive NDC-only fares and differentiated content
- Full servicing, including automated rebooking and refunds
- Management of ancillaries such as seating and baggage
This addition reinforces Iris as a comprehensive gateway for travel sellers, combining Airlink’s African reach with TPConnects’ existing mix of full-service, low-cost, and NDC-enabled carriers worldwide.
Stephanos Kykkotis, Director of Product, TPConnects Technologies, said, “We’re excited to welcome Airlink to Iris. As Southern Africa’s leading regional carrier, Airlink brings valuable connectivity to markets often underserved by global distribution systems, and extends our network past 65 airlines. This integration gives our travel seller partners seamless access to that network and exclusive content, with the same ease they expect across our platform.”
Katherine Whelan, Airlink Chief Commercial Officer, said, “Partnering with TPConnects and Iris is a natural extension of our strategy to modernise distribution and expand our global reach. This integration allows us to deliver richer content to travel sellers while streamlining bookings and improving cost-efficiency – another step forward in our commitment to innovation and service excellence.”
About Airlink:
Airlink was established in 1992 and is Southern Africa’s premier, privately-owned regional airline. Its fleet of 74 modern Embraer jet aircraft serves these cities and other destinations throughout Southern Africa, the Indian Ocean and St Helena Island. Airlink offers worldwide connections through its global partners, which include many trusted and well-known inter-continental brands, and its FlyNamibia franchise.
Airlink’s innovative “Skybucks” frequent flyer programme rewards its loyal customers. Skybucks is also partnered with Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club programme.
Airlink is an International Air Transport Association (IATA) member, accredited under its IOSA safety audit programme, and certified through the IATA Environmental Assessment (IEnvA) Organisation.
About TPConnects:
TPConnects Technologies is an IATA-certified global modern airline Retailing, NDC, and Content Aggregation solutions provider. Through its twin flagship product portfolio – Astra for Airlines and Iris for Travel Sellers – TPConnects helps airlines, travel sellers, and intermediaries increase revenue, streamline operations, and enhance customer experience.
TPConnects is granted Airline Retailing Maturity status under the IATA ARMi programme and has received IATA Financial Gateway (IFG) Certification, underscoring the company’s position as a leader in travel retailing innovation.
