Landlocked Lesotho Now Without Air Service

The airport is cut-off due to the lack of emergency equipment.

An Airlink Embraer E190 (Photo: Airlink)

[ Airports ]December 6, 2024 5:30 am ET

By Lorne Philipot

Lesotho will be without scheduled air service until its primary airport in Maseru restores emergency services to acceptable standards.

Lesotho is a small country located wholly within the borders of South Africa. The country’s international airport is located near the capital, Maseru. Since Lesotho is a small state located in the Maloti Mountains, it does not have many airports. Moshoeshoe International Airport is the only gateway to the small mountain kingdom.

That said, the country will be without air service until such time that its main airport restores suitable fire and rescue services. The only airline operating scheduled services into Maseru is South Africa’s privately owned Airlink. The carrier operates daily scheduled services between Johannesburg and Maseru.

It offers three flights a day from Monday to Saturday, and two daily flights on Sundays. The South African-based carrier operates these services with an Embraer ERJ-135 aircraft seating 37 passengers.

Lesotho Remains Cut Off

Airlink has been forced to suspend its daily services between Johannesburg and Maseru due to the unavailability of adequate fire and rescue services and equipment at Moshoeshoe International Airport.

Lesotho does not have its own airline. The country’s national carrier, Lesotho Airways, suspended operations in October 1996 due to the inability to satisfy the minimum requirements specified by the Department of Civil Aviation. Since then, the country has been connected by carriers operating services from Johannesburg.

Author
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Lorne Philipot

Lorne is a South Africa-based aviation journalist. He was captivated and fascinated by flying from the day he took his first airline flight. With a passion for aviation in his blood, he has flown to destinations in all corners of the globe. Lorne has traveled extensively and lived in various countries. Drawing on his travels and passion for aviation, Lorne enjoys writing about airlines, routes, networks, and new developments.

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Author

Lorne Philipot

Lorne is a South Africa-based aviation journalist. He was captivated and fascinated by flying from the day he took his first airline flight. With a passion for aviation in his blood, he has flown to destinations in all corners of the globe. Lorne has traveled extensively and lived in various countries. Drawing on his travels and passion for aviation, Lorne enjoys writing about airlines, routes, networks, and new developments.
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