Airlink passenger jet arrives at Rhodesfield Aviation School

Last week, Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi and MEC for Education, Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation Matome Chiloane officially presided over the handover of a decommissioned Embraer 135 passenger jet, donated by Airlink, to Rhodesfield Engineering School of Specialisation (SoS) in Kempton Park.

The school, which focuses on aviation skills as part of its specialised engineering curriculum, will use the aircraft as a groundbreaking training aid for learners.

Rhodesfield SoS, one of Gauteng’s Engineering Schools of Specialisation, was established to address critical skills shortages and align education with the province’s economic growth priorities.

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Rhodesfield Technical School, which offers engineering, commerce and arts subjects, currently has 45 learners (13 girls and 32 boys, most from Thembisa) enrolled in aviation as an eighth matric subject. Principal Caroline Ngxanga described the aircraft as an “invaluable teaching aid”, allowing learners to bridge theory and practice in ways previously inaccessible.

Lesufi called the handover a historic moment for township education:

“My dream was very simple, you cannot have a school a stone’s throw from the airport while our children remain excluded from the economy of aviation. Today, Airlink has agreed to be a partner for life.”

He emphasised that the initiative is not only about piloting but about opening learners to the full spectrum of aviation careers.

“With only 6 000 aircraft maintenance engineers in South Africa and just 1 700 being African, including fewer than 300 African women, projects like this are vital for transforming opportunities and ensuring inclusivity,” he said.

Chiloane added: “This is a declaration that our learners deserve world-class education. The sky is no longer the limit, but the beginning of infinite possibilities.

“The donated jet will give learners hands-on exposure to hydraulics, avionics, flight control and engine maintenance. Importantly, the aircraft will also be made available to other schools across Gauteng to broaden access to aviation education.”

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Airlink CEO De Villiers Engelbrecht said: “We want youngsters to dream and believe that a career in aviation is within their reach, whether in the flight deck, cabin, maintenance hangar, or at head office.

“By placing a real aircraft in their hands, we bridge the gap between theory and practice, exposing them to systems, components and structures that most learners never get to see.”

The Embraer ERJ135, delivered new to Airlink in November 2013 and decommissioned in April 2022 after more than 32 000 flight hours, will serve as both a classroom and laboratory.

Airlink will also donate additional aircraft parts over time and has seconded two qualified aircraft technicians to Rhodesfield SoS for two years.

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These specialists will guide learners in hydraulics, avionics, flight controls, engine maintenance and landing gear systems while collaborating with the school to develop a comprehensive aviation curriculum.

The Embraer ERJ135 regional jet, manufactured in Brazil and powered by two Rolls-Royce AE 3007/A3 turbofan engines, is 26.3 metres long, 6.7 metres high, with a 20-metre wingspan.

Its fuselage, cabin, wings and tail section will provide learners with real-world exposure to modern aerospace engineering and design.