14.03.2023 - 10:14 UTC
Botswana’s government is budgeting for the sale of national carrier Air Botswana (BP, Gaborone), according to a recent disclosure to the country's parliament by Transport Minister Eric Molale.
A budget has been put in place through the Transitional National Development Plan (TNDP) for the financial years 2023/24 and 2024/25, he said, which will ultimately result in the sale of the ailing airline, The Sunday Standard newspaper reported.
While the sale would not be immediate, Molale said the government, in the meantime, had directed that a strategic partner be sought for Air Botswana.
He reiterated that the national carrier was implementing a restructuring plan aimed at operational excellence, recovery, growth, and financial sustainability. “While the immediate plan is for the airline to get a strategic partner, these strategic objectives are still aligned with its privatisation agenda,” he said.
As part of its restructuring, the technically insolvent carrier has been looking at measures to become more efficient and competitive, including introducing new regional routes, maintaining international safety standards, and improving its on-time performance (OTP). It has...
01.03.2023 - 10:08 UTC
Following a public backlash over its objection to the establishment of Fly Etosha, FlyNamibia has formally withdrawn its objection against the startup's license application lodged with the Transport Commission of Namibia.
"We have taken into consideration the public sentiment towards our objection, and being cognizant of the fact that the Namibian public is a key stakeholder in our company, the FlyNamibia board has made the decision to reconsider its approach and to withdraw its objection to the Fly Etosha application, allowing the application to be duly and objectively evaluated by the Transportation Commission on its own merit," Managing Director André Compion said in a statement.
Compion said the airline's objection was a standard operating procedure. "It is practice and process in the aviation industry, as with most regulated industries in Namibia, for a proposed undertaking, such as the launch of a new airline, to be gazetted, thus allowing for public comment and/or objection." He added: "The Namibian law allows stakeholders to make objections to applications as part of the governance process to ensure that the general...
17.02.2023 - 05:31 UTC
Plans by Fly Etosha (Windhoek Eros) to debut around June 2023 on domestic and regional routes have hit a snag with its main competitor FlyNamibia opposing its license application, citing the startup's alleged "lack of financial resources, aircraft, maintenance facilities, ground handling services, insurance cover, and personnel".
In a statement shared with ch-aviation, FlyNamibia said it had lodged a formal objection to FlyEtosha's plans with the Transportation Commission of Namibia on February 14, 2023. In doing so, it exercised its right to object to a new license application as per the country's Air Services Act.
As first reported by ch-aviation, Fly Etosha plans to conduct domestic, regional, and international flights from Windhoek International and Windhoek Eros. It intends to operate a varied fleet of 33 aircraft, including regional turboprops and a mixture of leased narrowbodies and widebodies.
Domestic destinations would include Windhoek, Ondangwa, Rundu, Katima Mulilo/Caprivi, Walvis Bay, Luderitz and Oranjemund. The regional network would include Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls, plus Johannesburg O.R....
Editorial Comment: Added comment from Fly Etosha to FlyNamibia's objection. - 17.02.2023 - 10:24 UTC
14.02.2023 - 12:31 UTC
Air Botswana (BP, Gaborone) has been allocated BWP165.9 million pula (USD12.7 million) for the 2023/24 financial year for the "refurbishment" of the airline's fleet, reports Mmegi online, citing a note accompanying the draft estimate from the National Treasury.
"…Air Botswana finances need to be increased by BWP35 million (USD2.6 million) from BWP133.6 million (USD10.2 million) to BWP168.6 million to adequately cater for [the] refurbishment of Air Botswana's fleet," the note is cited. The planned funding was yet to be assessed and approved by legislators.
Air Botswana general manager Agnes Khunwana was not immediately available for comment.
The allocation to the airline was not specifically mentioned in the 2023 budget speech in Parliament on February 6 by Finance Minister Peggy Serame.
It reportedly falls under the Transitional National Development Plan, which runs from April 2023 to March 2025. The additional funds for the national carrier will come from the proposed budget for civil aviation infrastructure. In 2020, the state assisted Air Botswana with BWP100 million (USD7.6 million) to weather Covid-19-linked losses.
The airline...
