Plans by Namibia’s ruling South West African Individuals’s Organisation (SWAPO) to revive bankrupt Air Namibia have drawn criticism from an opposition politician who says the transfer doesn’t make financial sense, the newspaper New Period experiences.
This follows a just lately launched implementation plan for SWAPO’s 2024 election manifesto, which calls for the revival of “the nationwide airline below very properly thought-out methods to keep away from pitfalls of the previous.”
In February, the Namibian cupboard endorsed the incorporation of the SWAPO manifesto into authorities insurance policies, with implementation scheduled to start on April 1, 2025, reported the nation’s One Africa tv station.
Nonetheless, New Period experiences that Well-liked Democratic Motion (PDM) member of parliament Maximalliant Katjimune has criticised the plan: “It’s deeply regarding that this plan appears fixated on reviving a nationwide airline, which we clearly can’t afford and don’t want presently.” He argued that authorities assets must be spent on extra urgent socioeconomic points.
The Namibian authorities voluntarily liquidated Air Namibia in March 2021 following years of losses and mismanagement. The federal government had spent NAD9 billion Namibian {dollars} (USD495 million) on bailing out the airline within the previous decade.
A South African logistics broker unsuccessfully tried to purchase the chapter property in September 2022.
In December 2022, SWAPO’s nationwide congress directed the federal government to revive the nationwide provider to offer regional connectivity and convey vacationers to the nation. In 2023, the late President Hage Geingob engaged with Ethiopian Airlines to discover how the provider may help the federal government in reviving Air Namibia, claiming that Emirates had additionally expressed curiosity.
In the meantime, startup Fly Etosha (Windhoek Eros) tried to replace the national carrier but failed. In January 2024, the government denied any immediate plans whereas not ruling out the institution of a smaller regional airline.
FlyNamibia (WV, Windhoek Eros), majority owned by constitution provider Westair Aviation (WAA, Windhoek Eros) with 40% held by Airlink (South Africa), is presently the only Namibian-based scheduled passenger airline. It operates with a E135/E145 fleet leased from Westair.
