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Gauteng Premier, Hon. Panyaza Lesufi, together with Gauteng MEC for Education and Sports, Arts, Culture and Recreation, Hon. Matome Chiloane, today presided over the official handover of a decommissioned Embraer 135 passenger jet generously donated by Airlink to Rhodesfield Engineering School of Specialisation (SoS) with a focus on Aviation, in Kempton Park.
Airlink, Southern Africa’s premier airline, has gifted this aircraft as a groundbreaking aviation skills training aid for learners at the Rhodesfield academy, one of Gauteng’s Engineering Schools of Specialisation, established to address critical skills shortages by aligning education with the province’s economic growth priorities.
Rhodesfield Technical School focuses on engineering, commerce and the arts, with aviation skills as one of its specialisations. The school currently has 45 learners (13 girls and 32 boys, most from Tembisa) enrolled in aviation as their eighth matric subject.
Principal Caroline Ngxanga welcomed the aircraft as an “invaluable teaching aid”, emphasising that learners will now be able to bridge theory with practice in ways that were previously inaccessible.
Premier Lesufi described the handover as 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 added that this handover is not just about piloting, but about introducing 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), initiatives like this are vital for transforming opportunities and ensuring inclusivity in the sector.
MEC Chiloane reinforced the importance of this milestone:
“This is a declaration that our learners deserve world-class education, it’s a declaration that the sky is no longer the limit, but the beginning of infinite possibilities.”
He explained that beyond piloting, the aviation industry needs engineers, technicians and specialists who keep aircraft safely in the skies. The donated jet will expose learners to hydraulics, avionics, flight control and engine maintenance. Importantly, the jet will not only serve Rhodesfield SoS but will also be made available to other schools across Gauteng to broaden access to aviation education.
Airlink CEO, de Villiers Engelbrecht, explained the company’s motivation:
“We want youngsters to dream and believe that a career in aviation is within their reach, whether in the flight deck, the cabin, the maintenance hangar, or at head office. By placing a real aircraft in their hands, we bridge the gap between theory and practice and expose them to systems, components and structures that most learners never get to see.”
The aircraft, delivered new to Airlink in November 2013 and decommissioned in April 2022 after logging more than 32 000 flight hours, will serve as both a classroom and laboratory. Airlink has also committed to donating additional aircraft parts over time and has seconded two qualified aircraft technicians to Rhodesfield SoS for a two-year period. These specialists will guide learners in hydraulics, avionics, flight controls, engine maintenance, landing gear systems and more, 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 provide learners with real-world exposure to modern aerospace engineering and design.
This donation underscores the Gauteng Department of Education’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge, skills-based education that connects learners to real economic opportunities. It also affirms the role of partnerships between government and industry in shaping the future of Gauteng’s youth.
For more information, contact the Gauteng Department of Education’s Spokesperson, Steve Mabona on 072 574 3860 or Spokesperson for Gauteng Education MEC Matome Chiloane, Xolani Mkhwemte on 084 513 9285.
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