Namibian airlines Westair Aviation (WAA, Windhoek Eros) and Air Namibia (Windhoek International) remain grounded despite the country having opened its international borders on September 1, 2020, both airlines confirmed.

This follows after the Namibian government on August 28 extended a COVID-19 lockdown on certain regions in the country following a rise in infections. Both airlines operate from the capital Windhoek, which falls within the affected Khomas region, also comprising Rehoboth to the south and Okahandja to the north. The Erongo region - comprising Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Arandis - is also affected.

Meanwhile, Windhoek International opened on September 1 following the implementation of strict health and safety protocols published by the Namibian government on August 25. In terms of these, entry to the country is only allowed through the airport and all travellers must present a negative COVID-19 test result not older than 72 hours before boarding. Travellers are also required to self-quarantine for seven days at their first point-of-stay, which must be registered with the Namibia Tourism Board and certified by the Ministry of Health and Social Services. Detailed COVID-19 protocols for all operations in the tourism sector have been published.

Air Namibia in a statement confirmed the continued suspension of its domestic flight operations until such time when local travel would be allowed. It said its regional and international flights also remained suspended until the reopening of international borders of countries it serves.

Westair spokesperson AJ du Plooy told ch-aviation the privately-owned airline was only able to conduct repatriation flights at present due to the lockdown. He said the airline on August 28 had conducted its third repatriation flight from Frankfurt International to Windhoek using a B767-300ER leased from Condor (DE, Frankfurt International) and would conduct another one from Windhoek to Cape Town International and Johannesburg O.R. Tambo on September 13 using its own E145. “There is no demand to fly out of Namibia at present and South African borders remain closed, so Namibians cannot fly there,” he explained.

Meanwhile, Ethiopian Airlines (ET, Addis Ababa International) is to return to Windhoek on September 11, 2020 followed by Brussels Airlines (SN, Brussels National) on September 19, 2020, while Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad International) will resume flights in mid-September, Die Republikein newspaper reports.

Subject to all necessary government approvals being granted, Eurowings (EW, Düsseldorf) will also return to Windhoek on September 19 with three weekly services from Frankfurt, announced Lufthansa (LH, Frankfurt International) General Manager Southern Africa and East Africa, André Schulz. He said Namibia remained an important part of the Lufthansa Group's Africa network. The airline had operated several repatriation flights to and from Windhoek during the lockdown, he added.