Airlink CEO, Rodger Foster has been admitted to the “Ordem Nacional do Cruzeiro do Sul” (National Order of the Southern Cross) – the highest Brazilian decoration awarded to citizens of other countries – in recognition of his active role in strengthening business ties between Brazil and South Africa in the aviation field.
The decoration was presented by the Ambassador of Brazil to South Africa Sérgio França Danese on January 10 in a brief ceremony held at the Airlink Training Centre, in Johannesburg, South Africa.
In his speech, Ambassador Sérgio França Danese remarked on Mr Foster’s passion saying; “The admission to the National Order of the Southern Cross is a well-deserved recognition by Brazilians of Mr Foster’s contributions to fostering the relations between the two countries, in particular in the airline industry. We all hope it may also inspire the next stages of his personal and professional history of a fruitful relationship with Brazil.”
Emperor Pedro I of Brazil founded the National Order of the Southern Cross (Portuguese: Ordem Nacional do Cruzeiro do Sul) as a Brazilian order of chivalry on 1 December 1822.
The other two South African Citizens to have been admitted are:
Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki, Former President of South Africa, received the Grand Collar of the Order during an official visit to Brazil in 2001; and Albert Louis Sachs, former judge of the Constitutional Court of South Africa was admitted in 2016 to the rank of Commander.
