<P> On 23 December 2009 the SA Civil Aviation Authority grounded their fleet of 13 BAe Jetstream 41 planes . Following audits of the airline's procedures and inspection of the grounded aircraft they were returned to service . A problem with a seal in the aircraft's Honeywell engines was found to be the cause of the safety issues . </P> <P> On 3 May 2017, Airlink became the first airline in history to make a commercial charter flight to Saint Helena in the South Atlantic Ocean, landing an Avro RJ85 at Saint Helena Airport to pick up passengers stranded there when the island's only link with the outside world, the British Royal Mail Ship RMS St Helena, suffered propeller damage . No other commercial airliner landed at Saint Helena until 14 October 2017, when Airlink began history's first scheduled commercial airline service to Saint Helena Airport, with an Embraer E190 - 100IGW with 78 passengers aboard arriving after a flight of about six hours from Johannesburg with a stop at Windhoek, Namibia . The flight began once - a-week scheduled service between Johannesburg and Saint Helena . </P> <P> Airlink is privately owned, but has published the names of its shareholders: </P> <Ul> <Li> Sishen Iron Ore Company Community Development Trust (32.51%) </Li> <Li> Coronation Capital </Li> <Li> SA Airlink Investments (Rodger Foster) </Li> <Li> Barrie Webb </Li> <Li> South African Airways (2.96%) </Li> </Ul>

When was south african airlink formed and for what purpose