Safarilink Aviation

Safarilink Aviation
IATA ICAO Call sign
F2 XLK SAFARILINK
Founded2004
HubsWilson Airport
Safari Bonus
Fleet size12
Destinations18
HeadquartersNairobi, Kenya
Key peopleMbuvi Ngunze
Non-Executive Chairman[1]
Websiteflysafarilink.com

Safarilink Aviation Limited (operating as Safarilink) (IATA: F2, ICAO: XLK) is a regional airline based at Wilson Airport in Nairobi, Kenya.[1]

Fleet

Current fleet

The Safarilink Aviation fleet consists of the following aircraft (as of January 2024):[2][3]

Safarilink Aviation fleet
Aircraft In service Orders Passengers Notes
Cessna 208B Caravan 8 — 12
De Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 1 — 35 (as of August 2025)[4]
De Havilland Canada Dash 8-200 1 — 37 (as of August 2025)[4]
De Havilland Canada Dash 8-300 2 — 50 (as of August 2025)[4]
52
Total 12 —
Safarilink Twin Otter at Mara-Olkiombo airstrip in April 2010

Historical fleet

The airline's fleet previously also included the following aircraft type:[5]

Destinations

As of August 2019, the airline serviced the following destinations, among others.[7]

Country City Airport Notes Refs
KenyaAmboseliAmboseli Airport—[7]
KenyaDiani BeachUkunda Airport—[7]
TanzaniaKilimanjaroKilimanjaro International Airport—[7]
TanzaniaZanzibarZanzibar International Airport—[7]
KenyaKitaleKitale Airport—[7]
KenyaLamuManda Airport—[7]
KenyaLewa DownsLewa Airport—[7]
KenyaLodwarLodwar Airport—[7]
KenyaLoisabaLoisaba Airstrip—[7]
KenyaMasai MaraMara Serena Airport—[7]
KenyaMombasaMoi International Airport—[7]
KenyaNairobiWilson AirportHub[7]
KenyaNaivashaNaivasha Airport—[7]
KenyaNanyukiNanyuki Airport—[7]
KenyaSamburuSamburu Airport—[7]
KenyaShabaShaba Airstrip—[7]
KenyaTsavo West National ParkMtito Andei Airport—[7]
KenyaVipingo RidgeVipingo Ridge Airstrip—[7]

Associations and memberships

In September 2019, Safarilink Aviation became a member of the African Airlines Association (AFRAA).[8]

Accidents and incidents

  • On 5 March 2024, Safarilink Aviation Flight 053, a Dash 8-315 registered as 5Y-SLK on a scheduled flight to Ukunda Airport, collided on climbout from Wilson Airport with a Cessna 172M on a local training flight. Flight 053 returned to Wilson Airport and landed safely with no injuries to the 39 passengers and five crew, while the Cessna crashed in nearby Nairobi National Park, killing the two pilots on board. As of July 2024, the accident is under investigation.[9][10]

References

  1. 1 2 Mutegi, Mugambi (8 March 2018). "Ngunze lands job at Safarilink Aviation". Business Daily Africa. Nairobi. Retrieved 8 March 2018.
  2. ↑ "Global Airline Guide 2017 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2017): 19.
  3. ↑ "Safarilink Fleet". Safarilink Aviation. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
  4. 1 2 3 "Global Airline Guide 2025 - Safarilink Aviation". Airliner World. September 2025. p. 64.
  5. ↑ "Safarilink". Retrieved 26 November 2011.
  6. ↑ "Global Airline Guide 2016 (Part One)". Airliner World (October 2016): 19.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Destinations of Safarilink Aviation". Nairobi: Safarilink Aviation. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
  8. ↑ Rotich, Kevin (5 September 2019). "Safarilink Aviation Eyes Additional Africa Routes". Business Daily Africa. Nairobi. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  9. ↑ "2 killed in midair plane collision above Nairobi National Park, Kenya police say". ABC News. Associated Press. 5 March 2024. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  10. ↑ "Preliminary Midair Collision Accident Report Involving 5Y-SLK and 5Y-NNJ" (PDF). AAID. 3 April 2024. Retrieved 26 July 2024.