Naturelink Aviation

What Naturelink Aviation does

NAC (National Airways Corporation), operating commercially as Naturelink Aviation, is a South African integrated aviation services company founded in 1946 and headquartered at Lanseria, Johannesburg. It operates across six branches nationwide and combines aircraft and helicopter sales, charter operations, maintenance-repair-overhaul (MRO), parts distribution, flight training, air ambulance, and ACMI leasing under a single corporate entity.

The sales franchise holds authorized dealership rights with Dassault (Falcon business jets), Bell and Robinson (helicopters), Daher (Kodiak turboprop), Piper, Diamond, and Magnus — providing OEM-warranty access to corporate, government, and special-mission buyers. MRO capability is reinforced by a Rolls-Royce authorized engine shop, enabling in-house turbine engine maintenance. Charter operations span both fixed-wing (including Boeing 737 and Falcon 900B-class aircraft) and helicopter platforms; the Universal Air Evac unit provides 24/7 air ambulance services with HEMS integration via a Netcare 911 partnership. Additional revenue lines include helicopter tourism at game reserves (notably Shamwari), pilot type-rating and recurrent training, and ACMI wet-lease capacity.

Revenue mechanics blend transactional (aircraft and helicopter unit sales), recurring (MRO, parts, training, air ambulance missions), and utilization-driven (charter hour billing) streams. Geographic reach within Africa is complemented by a partnership with Discovery Jets (USA) for intercontinental charter access. The company is privately held as a (Pty) Ltd entity, with no public financial disclosure or external funding rounds identified in the available data.

Name

Naturelink Aviation

Legal name

National Airways Corporation (Pty) Ltd

Website

https://naturelink.co.za

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

NAC (National Airways Corporation) is South Africa's longest-standing integrated aviation services provider, founded 1946. It sells and supports Dassault, Bell, Robinson, Piper, Diamond, Daher, and Magnus aircraft across six branches, alongside charter, MRO, training, and air ambulance operations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Services

NAICS

Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812), Other Nonscheduled Air Transportation (481219), Air Transportation (481)

SIC

Aircraft Parts & Auxiliary Equipment, Nec (3728), Aircraft (3721)

akta.pro primary industry

Helicopter Charter & Sightseeing (TLAFABAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scenic & Sightseeing Helicopter Tours (THABAGAE), Air Medical Transport (Helicopter/Fixed-Wing) (HLAFANAD), Medical Passenger Transfer (Non-Emergency Patient Transport) (THABAGAG), On-Demand Helicopter Charter (Private/Corporate) (TLAFACAB)

Keywords

• Aircraft sales
• Helicopter charter
• Aviation maintenance services
• Air ambulance services
• Flight training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lanseria

HQ country

South Africa

HQ region

Africa

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Aircraft Sales: New and pre-owned aircraft sales from authorized dealers including Dassault, Daher Kodiak, Piper, Diamond, and Magnus Aircraft. Revenue generated from direct sales transactions with individual and corporate buyers.
2. Helicopter Sales: New and pre-owned helicopter sales from authorized dealers including Bell and Robinson. Revenue from direct sales transactions.
3. Aircraft Charter: On-demand global charter services through an award-winning fleet including Boeing 737-500, Dassault Falcon 900B, Hawker 4000, Learjets, and Beechcraft King Air aircraft. Revenue from flight charter fees.
4. Helicopter Charter: On-demand local charter services through helicopter fleet including Bell 430, Agusta 119, Bell 407, and Robinson helicopters. Revenue from helicopter charter fees.
5. Aircraft Maintenance (MRO): Comprehensive maintenance, repair, and overhaul services for aircraft and helicopters. Revenue from maintenance contracts and service fees.
6. Aircraft Parts: Spare parts supply including airframes, consumables, filtration, lubricants, avionics, engines, and tools. Revenue from parts sales.
7. Flight Training: Helicopter pilot, engineering, and technical training programmes. Revenue from training course fees.
8. Air Ambulance Services: 24/7 medical evacuation services through Universal Air Evac. Revenue from emergency medical transport services.
9. Aircraft Leasing (ACMI): Aircraft leasing and ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) arrangements for flight operations support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Naturelink Aviation (trading as NAC - National Airways Corporation) is an integrated South African aviation services company that sells new and pre-owned aircraft and helicopters as an authorized dealer for multiple OEMs (Dassault, Daher Kodiak, Piper, Diamond, Magnus, Bell, Robinson), provides on-demand aircraft and helicopter charter, delivers maintenance/repair/overhaul (MRO) and aviation spare parts, runs helicopter pilot and engineering training, operates 24/7 air ambulance services through Universal Air Evac, and conducts scenic helicopter tours in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

Product overview

NAC (National Airways Corporation) operates as Africa's premier integrated aviation services company offering a comprehensive portfolio of interconnected aviation solutions. The core offering spans five main pillars: Aircraft Sales (new and pre-owned aircraft from Dassault, Daher, Piper, Diamond, and Magnus brands), Helicopter Sales (Bell and Robinson helicopters), Charter Services (both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopter charter operations), Maintenance and Parts (MRO services and aviation spare parts supply), and Flight Operations (ACMI leasing and pilot training). Additional services include 24/7 Universal Air Evac air ambulance services, Rolls Royce engine shop, and helicopter tours in Johannesburg and Cape Town. The company has been in operation for over 80 years with 6 branches across South Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Universal Air Evac: 24/7 air ambulance and medical evacuation services operated by NAC.

Products and services

• Aircraft Sales

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Dassault AviationcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Dassault Falcon business jets including new aircraft sales. NAC offers Dassault aircraft as part of their new aircraft portfolio.
• DahercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Daher Kodiak rugged turboprop utility aircraft. NAC sells and supports Kodiak aircraft in their market.
• Bell HelicoptercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Bell helicopters including new and pre-owned sales. NAC offers Bell 407, Bell 430, and other Bell models.
• Robinson Helicopter CompanycoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Robinson helicopters including R22, R44 Raven I, and R44 Raven II. NAC is a primary source for Robinson helicopters in South Africa.
• Rolls-RoycecoreTechnology or IntegrationNAC operates a Rolls-Royce Engine Shop providing authorized engine maintenance and support services for Rolls-Royce powered aircraft.
• Netcare 911majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership for emergency medical services and air ambulance operations. NAC provides helicopter emergency medical services (HEMS) in partnership with Netcare 911.
• Discovery JetscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUS-based aircraft charter partner providing global charter services through Discovery Jets (USA). NAC refers international charter customers to Discovery Jets.
• Universal Air EvaccoreStrategic or Co-development Partner24/7 air ambulance and medical evacuation services operated by NAC. Universal Air Evac provides critical medical transport services across South Africa.
• Diamond AircraftmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Diamond Aircraft modern composite trainers. NAC offers Diamond aircraft for training purposes.
• Magnus AircraftmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Magnus Aircraft mission ready and surveillance aircraft including the Fusion 212 model.
• Piper AircraftmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized dealer for Piper versatile light aircraft. NAC offers Piper aircraft including the Piper Matrix and Turbo Saratoga SP.
• ShamwariminorOthersWildlife sanctuary partner, potentially for premium tourism experiences including helicopter tours to wildlife reserves.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ExecuJet Aviation: Africa- and globally-headquartered aviation services group offering aircraft management, charter, MRO, and FBO services. Highly comparable to NAC as a competing full-service aviation platform with significant African charter and MRO presence.
• Safair: South African-based charter and freight airline operating a large fleet of Boeing 737 freighters and passenger charter. Directly comparable as a South African charter operator competing for the same corporate and ad hoc airlift demand.
• Westair Aviation: South African helicopter charter, sales, MRO, and pilot training operator based at Cape Town International. Directly comparable to NAC's helicopter division across charter, training, and maintenance.

Broad incumbents

• Bidvest Aerospace: South African conglomerate with aviation aftermarket and aerospace components businesses. Comparable to NAC's parts and MRO operations through scale distribution of aviation consumables and components.
• Jet Aviation: Global business aviation services company offering aircraft management, charter, MRO, and FBO services. Comparable as a much larger integrated aviation services incumbent operating in the same charter and MRO categories.

Regional players

• Airlink: South African regional airline serving feeder and corporate routes across Southern Africa. Adjacent comparable as a South African aviation operator with overlapping corporate client base and charter capability.
• Caverton Helicopters: Nigerian helicopter charter, MRO, and pilot training operator serving West African oil and gas and corporate markets. Comparable to NAC's helicopter charter and training offerings in the African regional context.

Others

• Bell Training Academy (Africa partners): Bell's OEM training network includes authorized training academies in Africa. Comparable as a helicopter pilot training peer leveraging OEM relationships similar to NAC's Robinson/Bell training offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/naturelink-aviation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Naturelink Aviation