Airlink donates Aircraft for Aviation training

Airlink, South Africa’s premier regional airline, has donated a decommissioned Embraer ERJ-135 regional jet to the Gauteng Department of Basic Education (GDE). This fully intact aircraft now serves as a hands-on training tool for Grade 11 and 12 learners at Rhodesfield Engineering School of Specialisation (SOS) in Kempton Park. Acting Principal Caroline Ngxanga praised the donation as “an invaluable teaching aid” for the school’s 45 enrolled learners (13 girls and 32 boys), many from nearby Tembisa.

Forging the next generation of technicians

The jet’s presence is set to drastically elevate the standard of aviation education by offering direct interaction with key aircraft systems such as hydration, avionics, flight controls, engines, and more. Learners will move beyond textbook diagrams, diving into real-world structures and systems often inaccessible in traditional classrooms. To further bolster learning, Airlink is funding a two-year placement of two newly qualified female aircraft maintenance technicians to serve as on-site trainers. Both hail from the airline’s maintenance centre at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport. As Airlink’s CEO de Villiers Engelbrecht said: “By placing a real aircraft in learners’ hands and providing qualified engineers as trainers, we can help bridge the gap between theory and practical experience.”

A step in the right direction

With only some 6,000 aircraft maintenance engineers in South Africa and fewer than 300 African women among them, such initiatives are essential for equity and inclusion in aviation careers. Beyond Rhodesfield SOS, the GDE confirms the jet will be accessible to learners from other schools across Gauteng, amplifying its impact throughout the province.