ETHIOPIA: Ethiopia Airlines Launches Direct Flights To Namibia

Ethiopia Airlines has launched direct flights to Namibia.

Although Kenya Airways signed a new code-share agreement with Air Namibia way back in 2013 for direct flights, the deal has not been implemented five years later.

The deal would have paved the way for direct flights between the airlines’ Nairobi and Windhoek hubs through Johannesburg in South Africa and Lusaka in Zambia.

The move would have extended the national carrier’s footprints in southern Africa region.

Under the code-share agreement, Kenya Airways was to place its ‘KQ’ code on Air Namibia flights from Johannesburg and Lusaka to Windhoek.

In turn, Air Namibia was to place its ‘SW’ code on Kenya Airways flights from Lusaka and Johannesburg to Nairobi.

Ethiopian Airlines took the opportunity to launch three weekly direct flights to Namibia in October and further signed a code-share agreement.

The idea of direct flights from Nairobi to Windhoek was conceptualised in mid 2000 when former Tana River Governor Hussein Dado was the Kenya’s high commissioner to Namibia.

The idea was pushed because Kenyans travelling to Namibia are compelled to get South Africa transit visas, which take a minimum of seven working days to process.

The direct flight was therefore aimed at cutting costs and delays.

Then Kenya Airways chief executive Titus Naikuni at the signing ceremony in Windhoek had said the move would facilitate convenient travel for passengers, and would enable the airline to contribute towards spurring sustainable development in Africa.

The two airlines, according to Naikuni, expected the agreement to allow them both to expand their regional network through their mutual services and facilitate the provision of competitive and convenient travel choices to their respective clients.


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NAMIBIA: Air Namiibia To Commence Flights To Accra And Lagos, June 2018

Air Namibia will commence its Accra route in June after cancelling it in 2013.

What is different this time around is that we are combining Accra with Lagos.

We also have traffic rights for passengers and cargo for travel between Lagos and Accra using the fifth freedom traffic rights granted by the Ghanaian and Nigerian governments, as contained in the existing Bilateral Air Service Agreements.

This makes it a totally different and much bigger operation than before, says Twakulilwa Kayofa, Corporate Communications Officer of Air Namibia.

Twakulilwa says flying to Accra and Lagos will give passengers a better travel option and reduce travel times between Namibia and West Africa by more than 60%.

We are already receiving positive feedback on the launch of this new route.

The operation fits within our existing capacity in terms of aircraft and crew, thereby improving the utilisation rates of these resources while increasing revenue catchment opportunities, he says.

The schedules for these flights have not yet been released as yet.



Tourism Observer

NAMIBIA: Air Namibia Shunned By Banks

The financial situation at Air Namibia has worsened to the extent that even banks are reluctant to give them loans.

Acting managing director Mandi Samson told the new works minister, John Mutorwa, yesterday during a ­familiarisation visit that their biggest problem was cash flow.

Samson said she was surprised that even their bank and another institution was unable to fund them.

We are looking for financing at other countries such as South Africa, which brings the complication of currency exposure.

It is not ideal but if the entire country says they cannot assist us. We have to look elsewhere.

Samson said the struggling parastatal has been unable to get any funding from within the country as there is lack of trust, and also due to the lack of annual reports.

The issue of financial constraints had been presented to Cabinet committees, and the airline was permitted to borrow funds on the market.

Samson could not say how much money the entity needs or how much progress has been made, apart from that they owe the Namibia Airports Company a large amount.

We have the issue of the Namibia Airports Company, whom we owe more than N$ 250 million, and we believe that with the funds we are looking for, we should be able to pay them something as they also need their cash, she said.

Samson also complained about Eros Airport, which she said had become a problem due to its poor infrastructure, which poses safety concerns to employees and customers.

She also said NAC has thus caused them to restrict their flights to three per day while they want to expand regionally.

According to Samson, the airport also closes at 20h00 for business, and cannot thus be used for emergencies when planes need to be diverted to Eros.

Air Namibia's board chairperson, Gerson Tjihenuna, also said the financial situation would not only affect the future of the airline, but that of 700 workers, as well as 70 000 others within the value chain in which the airline is the primary catalyst.

Tjihenuna said government as the sole shareholder has made commitments to the airline, which he said include N$3 billion to back aircraft leases costs.

The last 18 months or so were confusing as to what government wants regarding Air Namibia.

We understand the concern on millions being paid into the airline in the form of subsidies, which is something board and management are working on tirelessly to reverse.

But strong sentiments conflicting with the reason the airline was established for are being echoed at various senior government levels in the media.

These remarks are quite damaging and negatively affecting the airline's standing in international markets and offshore financiers, he said.

According to Tjihenuna, they are committed to turning the entity's fortunes around with government support when needed, but not through negative remarks through the media.

Tjihenuna said they have already been hoping to meet with the minister to discuss the issue of finances.

Mutorwa took the opportunity to urge Air Namibia to hurry up and publish their annual reports, saying that he would not be able to find funding for them if they cannot account for their finances.

The minister said he abides by the law, which strictly instructs for the submission of the annual reports, which the airline has failed to publish for the past 10 years.

The entity's last annual report was published in the 2003/4 financial year.

I will not compromise on this. It is not negotiable, our accountability is annual, and the books must be tabled.

Chair please, regarding the annual reports, we have to be comfortable when we motivate for funding., he said.

Mutorwa said approaching finance minister Calle Schlettwein and motivating for funding will be difficult if the company cannot account for its books.

We are ruled by law, and the law says annual reports must be submitted. I am not saying give me tomorrow, but I must get it. Within this year. Parliament has three sessions, said Mutorwa.

Samson said they would submit their consolidated annual reports by June this year to the works ministry.

Air Namibia is one of the SOEs heavily dependent on government bailouts to continue operating, having received over N$6 billion since 2000.

According to the 2017/18 national budget, Air Namibia will continue to be a burden on state finances as it has been allocated N$486 million for 2017/18, N$494 million for 2018/19, and N$498 million for 2019/20.



Tourism Observer

NAMIBIA: Air Namibia Cabin Attendant Prosecuted For Drug Trafficking

The national airline, Air Namibia, has found its livery dragged into the mud after one of its cabin attendants was caught trafficking drugs in one of its planes.

The incident, which took place on December 16, and had seemingly gone unnoticed by the media, took place on the aircraft that was bound to depart for Frankfurt.

The issue came to light after some of Air Namibia staff members accused the airline of attempting to hide the incident to save itself embarrassment in the market.

Air Namibia has however denied the allegations, saying that it has taken decisive action against the suspected employee.

On December 16, 2016, police at Hosea Kutako International Airport found “suspicious substance” hidden in a cabin attendant’s check-in luggage.

The suspicious substance, which police confirmed to be drugs worth over a million dollars, was discovered during a routine inspection prior to the departure of Air Namibia’s plane to Frankfurt, Germany.

The drugs, believed to be cocaine, are said to have a street value of between N$1 million and N$2 million.

The cabin attendant, who made his first court appearance on December 27, has been identified as Percival Mensah. He is out on bail of N$10 000, according to court records.

He was scheduled to appear again in court on May 10, at Hosea Kutako Magistrate’s Court, together with his co-accused Hill Clint Chundve.

Air Namibia’s senior manager for sales and marketing, Wimpie van Vuuren said that Mensah is currently on suspension pending the outcome of the police investigation and other possible actions.

According to information cabin attendants scheduled to operate aboard the Air Namibia flight to Frankfurt that day were in a pre-flight meeting at the airport when the police walked in on the meeting asking cabin attendants to identify the luggage found with concealed drugs.

No one claimed ownership of the check-in bag.

Mensah is said to have immediately disappeared from the airport.

As a result that day’s flight to Frankfurt was delayed. Mensah handed himself over to the police days later.

We can confirm that on 16 December 2016, during the processing of the crew luggage, a bag with suspicious substance was detected.

The Namibian police took control and the said member did not operate on the said flight, said Van Vuuren.

According to court records the charge sheet for Mensah and Chundve was sent back to the police for further investigations and charges to be added.

Meanwhile, Van Vuuren has dismissed the allegations that the airline is covering up Mensah’s crime to save itself embarrassment.

The mentioned case is handled in the same procedure as any other. The company did suspend the employee and needs to allow the police to conclude their investigation.

The Air Namibia disciplinary procedure will certainly be followed depending on the outcome of the police investigation, he said.

Van Vuuren maintained that Air Namibia has a detailed Drug and Alcohol Policy that deals with any drug-related incident and a zero tolerance policy towards any drug trafficking.

All Air Namibia employees and passengers are subject to the normal screening process that any commercial passenger will be subject to at the various airports Air Namibia operate from. This incident clearly demonstrates that the system works.

He says the airline would always ensure that full compliance and adherence of any requirement at the airports are enforced. We do support the safeguarding of our borders and entry points against any illegal activities,he said.

NAMIBIA: Air Namibia Committed To Service Delivery

Air Namibia Executive Committee members signed performance agreements as a commitment to attain strategic objectives outlined in the national airline’s five year strategic plan for the period 2016/17 – 2020/21.

The signing ceremony took place at Air Namibia Strategic Intent launch that took place on 19 April 2017 at the airline’s headquarters in Windhoek.

Advocate Mandi Samson, Acting Managing Director of Air Namibia described the launch of the strategic intent as a stepping stone in the right direction.

She said; The signing of departmental performance agreements reflects accountability in an effort to achieve identified strategic objectives.

With our strategic plan, we have an effective tool to ensure that Air Namibia becomes a financially sustainable organisation, attractive to our shareholder, clients and employees, and accountable to the Namibian nation.

Air Namibia is a year into the implementation of the five year strategic plan (2016/17 – 20120/21), driving the national airliner towards the journey of financial sustainability by providing exceptional customer service, ensuring impeccable operational effectiveness and efficiency, maintaining relevant and appropriate compliance, establishing and leveraging off synergistic strategic partnerships and nurturing a result based organisation culture.

Advocate Samson encouraged the national airline’s employees to redirect their efforts towards the strong accelerated delivery of the strategy.

She advised; I strongly believe that our strategic goals are achievable, but they can only be realised if we invest in our efforts and time, while working as a team with the big picture in minds.

She concluded by saying; My dream is for Air Namibia to achieve a point where its value is also reflected by a sound financial position.

I wish to see Air Namibia as the premier choice for all travellers, when they wish to embark on their trips connecting to the Land of the Brave. To achieve this dream, we need to pull our efforts together in the same direction.

Air Namibia’s mandate is to provide air transport service to promote tourism and encourage business investment in Namibia.

NAMIBIA: From Refueller To Airport Station Controller With Air Namibia

Air Namibia, the national carrier of Namibia would like to celebrate the life of Mr Martin Andreas, Air Namibia’s Station Controller at Ondangwa Airport.

Martin has been devoted to Air Namibia for close to four decades, and leaves a stable station behind as he enters his retirement on Friday, 31 March 2017.

From humble beginnings, Martin joined Air Namibia (Namib Air at that time) on 10 February 1978 as a Refueller for aircraft at Eros Airport. He was responsible for quality control of aircraft fuel before refuelling the aircraft.

I had to make sure that the fuel is not mixed with water before refuelling.

When fuel for aircraft has been transported, it needs to be stable for a while before refuelling, to ensure that dirt and unwanted substances remain at the bottom of the container, while clean oil emerges at the top,” he explained his entry position at the national airliner.

Three years later, in 1981, Martin was transferred to the workshop division, working as an Engineer Assistant. He was primarily responsible for maintenance of jet engines, replacement of jet tyres and greasing of jet bearings. He served in this position for two years, before he was reassigned back to be a Refueller. Apart from being a Refueller,

Martin was also responsible for training and mentoring new Refueller trainees mainly on how to test the quality of jet fuel before refuelling. He held this position for 4 years, from 1983 till early 1987.

A highlight in his career that Martin will always keep close to his heart was when he was appointed as Petrol Station Manager for fuelling jetliners’ in mid-October 1987.

This appointment meant that he had to be transferred to Oshakati in Oshana region.I was very delighted with this appointment, as I was entrusted with more responsibilities that are very critical to the daily management of the national airline. It was also a great opportunity to reunite with my family in the north, he proudly said.

It was in April 1994 when Martin was appointed as the Station Manager for Ondangwa Airport, after the airliners offices moved from Oshakati to Ondangwa earlier that year.

He served in this position up until his retirement. His day to day work is to oversee the smooth running of the station, making sure that flights depart on the scheduled time and daily work, including managing staff under his wing.

As Martin reflects on 39 years of his time at Air Namibia, he recalls various developments that took place at the national airline. I have seen Air Namibia growing from small company to a bigger and better company over the years,he narrated.

He continued, When I started in 1978, the company was known as South West Airways, and later renamed Namib Air the very same year. Following Namibia’s independence in 1990, Namib Air was renamed Air Namibia.

In the early years, Air Namibia only had 4 small aircrafts: a 5 seater, 8 seater, 22 seater and the biggest being a 55 seater aircraft. Today, Air Namibia boasts a fleet of 10 aircrafts operating nationally, regionally and internationally.

Advocate Mandi Samson, Air Namibia’s Acting Managing Director described Martin as a humble leader who serves customers with a sense of humility, selflessness and commitment.

Martin’s attention to detail, while keeping the broader picture in mind, has been invaluable. His willingness to put in extra time and effort to complete tasks within deadlines has demonstrated commitment to achieve excellence.

During his career, he acquired valuable skills in the aviation field through countless training courses and workshops. Martin narrates, For 39 years I worked at Air

Namibia, I have gone through multiple training courses; from Airport operation training to ground handling, aircraft loading and other supervisory trainings.

Although I have been empowered over the years, I am a firm believer that information needs to be shared for the smooth running of the business. To that effect, I have been able to successfully impart the experience, knowledge and skills I have gained over the years to my colleagues,he specified.

Joining the aviation industry at a youthful age of 21 and spending most of his lifetime at Air Namibia, Martin said that he will always be grateful and indebted to Air Namibia for being part of his life. Filled with mixed feelings, he said: Although this employment has occupied most of my life, it has empowered me to be a responsible manager, mentor and friend.

I have acquired business acumen skills, invaluable experience and of course, I have been able to provide for my family. In a nutshell, this opportunity has made me a better person in life.

In his final words, Martin said: I will miss my Air Namibia family, more especially my colleagues at Ondangwa, and the friends I have made over the years. But closer to the heart, I will miss the beautiful landing and taking off of our aircraft.

As I go on retirement, I would like to wish the company all the best with its current and future plans.

Adv. Samson extended words of appreciation to Mr Martin on behalf of the national airline; Air Namibia would like to extend our best wishes to Martin in his new endeavours. Martin will be greatly missed by the passengers and colleagues alike.

We have all benefited from his hands on proactive approach and management style. Air Namibia wishes Martin a happy retirement.

NAMIBIA: Air Namibia Sells US Tickets Via Codeshare Understanding

Air Namibia is planning on selling tickets to the United States (US) via codeshare agreements with partner airlines.

This comes after the airline won approval to carry passengers into and out of the US from the US Department of Transport in April.

Xavier Masule, General Manager of Commercial Services of Air Namibia, says that the airline doesn’t have any immediate plans to introduce a US route.

“Right now, we are simply looking at selling tickets into and out of the US via codeshare agreements with partner airlines like Condor,” says Xavier.

He adds that discussions with other partner airlines are still underway.

Air Namibia is pleased to announce that we will be increasing flight frequencies and capacity on some of our domestic routes.

Routes on which flight frequency and capacity increases will be offered are the following; ·

Ondangwa: We will launch an additional flight frequency on the Eros – Ondangwa route on Mondays, from the current two flights per day to three flight per day. We will also launch an additional flight frequency on Saturdays, from the current single flight per day to two flights. ·

Rundu/Katima Mulilo: Flights to Rundu and Katima Mulilo will be separated, meaning that flights to Rundu will no longer go via Katima Mulilo, and flights to Katima Mulilo will no longer go via Rundu.

We will introduce direct and non-stop flights between Eros and Rundu, three times per week to be operated on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The new service of direct and non-stop flights between Eros and Katima Mulilo will remain on 4 flights per week, to be operated on Sundays, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

In addition to the frequency and capacity increases, we are happy to also announce that we have revised our fares and ticket prices on domestic routes downwards, by an aggregate of 20%.

This reduction in fares will ensure that all fares payable on domestic routes, including taxes, will be well below N$ 3,990.00 return.

The decision taken to increase flight frequencies and capacity on domestic routes is in line with our strategic objective of making air travel affordable, and this is just the beginning of it all, says Paul Nakawa, Corporate Communications Manager of Air Namibia.

As opportunities for fixed cost reduction from increased aircraft utilization are realized, the more the benefit in cost reduction will be passed onto the end user, our esteemed flying public, Nakawa said.

We are grateful to Namibia Airports Company, for the decision to allow us to increase flights into Eros Airport, which has made it possible for us to increase frequencies on specified routes, which ultimately reduces our fixed costs per seat.

It is our wish that this level of cooperation and alignment will continue going forward, which will help us create a situation whereby every Namibia will afford to fly, removing pressure from our roads, added Xavier Masule General Manager for Commercial Services at Air Namibia

Barely six months after introducing the Windhoek – Gaborone – Durban flights, Air Namibia is proud to announce that the route has been performing well and the national airliner plans to increase capacity on this route.

Effective 26 March 2017, Air Namibia will now service the Windhoek-Gaborone- Durban route with Airbus A319 which offers 112 seats, with 16 seats for business class and 96 seats for economy class.

Airbus A319 replaces Embraer ERJ 135 which only offered 37 economy seats on that route.

Mr Xavier Masule, Air Namibia’s General Manager for Commercial Services described this development as a strategic move in the right direction.

We are proud of this development because it reflects growth and sustainability.

The increment in capacity for the two destinations will meet the growing demand of passengers flying with Air Namibia, while setting new standards for comfort on single-aisle jetliners, he proudly said.

Air Namibia will continue to service the destination to Gaborone and Durban four times per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, using the Airbus A319.

Apart from offering more seats and business class, the Airbus A319 also provides a fresh new look, more space in the overhead compartments, more leg room and cargo.

Due to the bigger capacity, baggage allowance has increased from one piece (1 of 23kg) to two pieces of 23 kg in economy class and two pieces of 32kg for business class passengers.

As part of welcoming the Airbus A319 to the Windhoek – Gaborone – Durban route, Air Namibia will have return promo fare specials for our passengers travelling on that route.

A return ticket from Windhoek to Durban via Gaborone will start from N$ 3,600 in economy class and N$ 5,900 in business class. The same fare structure applies to the Windhoek – Gaborone – Windhoek route.

VIETNAM: Celebrating The Inauguration Of Da Nang International Airport

In celebration of the inauguration of Da Nang International Airport’s T2 terminal, Vietjet has announced the Danang - Seoul (South Korea) route, which is expected to bring greater travel opportunities to the people of the two localities, contributing to promoting trade and integration in the region.

Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho and Party Central Committee Member, Secretary of Da Nang City Party Committee, Chairman of Da Nang People's Council Nguyen Xuan Anh and leaders of the departments attended this important event.

The Da Nang-Seoul route will be operated on a daily basis from 31 May 2017 with tickets priced from only VND630,000 (USD28). The flight from Danang departs at 11.45pm (local time) and arrives in Seoul at 6.00am (local time).

The return flight takes off at 7.00am (local time) and lands in Danang at 9.40am.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Luu Duc Khanh, Managing Director of Vietjet said: Being the economic and tourist hub of the country, Da Nang strongly attracts investment in economic and tourism development.

With the opening of the route connecting Da Nang with South Korea, Vietjet not only provides the local people and international tourists with more travel opportunities via safe, civilized and modern air transportation but also contributes to promoting trade and investment development in the localities.

The T2 Terminal is designed and equipped with modern equipment with 40 check-in counters, 20 immigration exit counters, 22 immigration entry counters and 10 departure gates with a capacity of 6 million visitors per year.

This is an important construction to serve the 29th Summit of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and future aviation development.

The new route’s air tickets are available for booking within the golden hours of 1.00 to 14:00 at www.vietjetair.com (also compatible with smartphones at https://m.vietjetair.com) or at www.facebook.com/vietjetvietnam (just click the “Booking” tab).

Payment can be easily made with debit and credit cards of Visa, MasterCard, JCB, KCP and American Express.

With a new and modern fleet, beautiful, friendly and professional staff coupled with high-quality services, Vietjet is committed to always providing its passengers with many exciting flight experiences and opportunities to walk away with amazing airfares and surprising gifts under the promotion "12p.m, it’s time to Vietjet”.

Meanwhile, Air Namibia (SW) and Turkish Airlines (TK) yesterday signed a codeshare agreement that will be effective as from March 1st, covers routes between Turkey and Namibia, and set to expand the travel opportunities for the passengers of two airlines.

The signing ceremony took place at Turkish Airlines’ Headquarters in İstanbul. Namibia Deputy Minister of Works & Transport honorable Sankwasa James Sankwasa and Turkish Airlines Deputy Chairman and CEO, Bilal Ekşi signed the deal in the presence of senior officials from both sides.

This new codeshare agreement is bound to broaden the commercial partnership between two companies and their respective countries. At the same time, passengers of both airlines will be given more travel options between Namibia and Turkey.

Under the terms of the agreement, Air Namibia and Turkish Airlines are planning to place codes on unilateral flights of SW on Windhoek – Johannesburg v.v. / Windhoek – Frankfurt v.v., and unilateral flights of TK on İstanbul – Johannesburg v.v. / İstanbul – Frankfurt v.v. Also it has been considered that, when SW introduces the Windhoek – İstanbul v.v. flights in future, this codeshare agreement will be expanded by placing the code to include beyond İstanbul flights.

Honorable Sankwasa expressed their satisfaction with this commercial partnership with a well-established and rapidly growing carrier like Turkish Airlines, which enjoys a broad route network. He also expressed that they are happy to conduct this codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines and also added that the deal will be a crucial experience for them.

Honourable Sankwasa further stated that he is confident about this cooperation which will be fruitful for both sides and will be enlarged very soon.

Air Namibia is a small airline and in order to improve its competitiveness in this high competitive industry, it is important to have a strategic partner, as Turkish Airlines who placed on the top to become a partner with. We believe that this will be just one of the many areas of cooperation between Turkish Airlines and Air Namibia.Honourable Sankwasa further stated.

We are pleased to sign this codeshare agreement with Air Namibia and aim to improve our partnership to maximize the travel opportunities offered our passengers through our flight networks.

Air Namibia continues its expanding successfully, and we believe that this partnership between Turkish Airlines and Air Namibia will bring benefit to both carriers, not only from a commercial perspective, but also in cultural interactions between Turkey and Namibia while promoting business travel between two countries.said Turkish Airlines’ Deputy Chairman and CEO, Mr. Bilâl Ekşi, as commenting on the agreement.

NAMIBIA: Air Namibia And Turkish Airlines Sign Codeshare

Air Namibia (SW) and Turkish Airlines (TK) signed a codeshare agreement within yesterday. The agreement that will be effective as from March 1st, covers routes between Turkey and Namibia, and set to expand the travel opportunities for the passengers of two airlines.

The signing ceremony took place at Turkish Airlines’ Headquarters in İstanbul. Namibia Deputy Minister of Works & Transport honorable Sankwasa James Sankwasa and Turkish Airlines Deputy Chairman and CEO, Bilal Ekşi signed the deal in the presence of senior officials from both sides.

This new codeshare agreement is bound to broaden the commercial partnership between two companies and their respective countries. At the same time, passengers of both airlines will be given more travel options between Namibia and Turkey.

Under the terms of the agreement, Air Namibia and Turkish Airlines are planning to place codes on unilateral flights of SW on Windhoek – Johannesburg v.v. / Windhoek – Frankfurt v.v., and unilateral flights of TK on İstanbul – Johannesburg v.v. / İstanbul – Frankfurt v.v.

Also it has been considered that, when SW introduces the Windhoek – İstanbul v.v. flights in future, this codeshare agreement will be expanded by placing the code to include beyond İstanbul flights.

Honorable Sankwasa expressed their satisfaction with this commercial partnership with a well-established and rapidly growing carrier like Turkish Airlines, which enjoys a broad route network.

He also expressed that they are happy to conduct this codeshare agreement with Turkish Airlines and also added that the deal will be a crucial experience for them.

Honourable Sankwasa further stated that he is confident about this cooperation which will be fruitful for both sides and will be enlarged very soon.

“Air Namibia is a small airline and in order to improve its competitiveness in this high competitive industry, it is important to have a strategic partner, as Turkish Airlines who placed on the top to become a partner with. We believe that this will be just one of the many areas of cooperation between Turkish Airlines and Air Namibia.” Honourable Sankwasa further stated.

“We are pleased to sign this codeshare agreement with Air Namibia and aim to improve our partnership to maximize the travel opportunities offered our passengers through our flight networks.

Air Namibia continues its expanding successfully, and we believe that this partnership between Turkish Airlines and Air Namibia will bring benefit to both carriers, not only from a commercial perspective, but also in cultural interactions between Turkey and Namibia while promoting business travel between two countries.” said Turkish Airlines’ Deputy Chairman and CEO, Mr. Bilâl Ekşi, as commenting on the agreement.

NAMIBIA: Air Namibia Named Best Airline In Africa

Air Namibia was named the Best Airline in Africa when the global flight and travel search platform, Cheapflights, recently announced the winners of its inaugural Cheapflights Travel Awards in Cape Town.

The awards recognised the best southern African travel and tourism business and brands in a range of categories from the best local airports and airlines, to the best safari and wine offerings.

South Africans casted their vote for their favourite travel brands and businesses over the past month, as nominated by the South African Travel Massive blogger community.

With over 50 000 votes cast, Managing Director of Cheapflights Andrew Shelton said: We were overwhelmed by the response and the number of votes that came in for our first ever travel awards.

We want to thank everyone for participating and congratulate them for being recognised as one of the top performers in their category.

South Africa is a premiere destination, with world class offerings, and it shows in the numbers with international visitors to South Africa is growing by 30 percent year-on-year.

Shelton was joined by a delegation of Cheapflights colleagues, who over the course of a three-day visit met with a number of tourism industry stakeholders and partners to better understand the South African travel market, and discuss the benefits of the Cheapflights metasearch products to both businesses and consumers here.

Cheapflights has seen a 69 percent increase in demand over the last 12 months, across its web and app platforms, and revenue growth of 131 percent – evidence, he believes, of a growing wanderlust in the Rainbow Nation.

The falling value of the Pound, and the increased competition that platforms like ours bring to a market, are all good news for South African travellers.

By giving them accurate and timely information on the best value flights when they are searching, we help them to make the best choices simplifying what can be a daunting and confusing process, and giving them to confidence to make a purchase.

The 2016 Cheapflights Inaugural Travel Awards featured a keynote address delivered by Enver Duminy, CEO of Cape Town Tourism, who provided insight into the current developments in Cape Town and surrounds.

Cheapflights.co.za also partnered with Africa Geographic and Travel Massive for the first time.

The winners of the 2016 Cheapflights Inaugural Travel Awards were:

Best Airport

OR Tambo International Airport

Best Airline Lounge:

Emirates at Cape Town International

Best Local Airline:

South African Airways

Best Airline in Africa:

Air Namibia

Best Int’l Airline:

Emirates

Best Car Hire:

Avis

Best Hotel Chain:

Tsogo Sun

Best City Boutique:

One & Only

ZIMBABWE: Airlines Ask For Cash, Because Of Shortage Of US Dollars

At least five global airlines including Qantas, Lufthansa, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, Air France, and Delta Air Lines have instructed travel agents in Zimbabwe to only accept hard currency in the form of cash when selling tickets to customers in the Southern African state.

Owing to crippling shortages of foreign currency, foreign airlines have been unable to remit funds generated through local ticket sales. This has resulted in multiple instances of non-settlement of obligations by Zimbabwe’s banks, the report stated.

The report quotes a letter written by Qantas’ regional manager for Africa, Michi Messner, to travel agents saying IATA had advised them that the situation with the repatriation of funds out of Zimbabwe was worsening.

“Although IATA and member airlines are proceeding with lobbying efforts, the last sales period settled is for P2 Oct 2016 and current delay is sitting at 138 days. Qantas has a substantial amount outstanding from BSP Zimbabwe (IATA’s Billing and Settlement Plan) and to avoid further risk, we’ve taken the decision to discontinue ticketing for all travel agents with access to our stock effective immediately,” she said.

Earlier this year, the paper quoted local industry sources as stating that up to USD30 million worth of remittances had yet to be transferred to airlines that currently serve Zimbabwe including Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways, Kenya Airways, Comair (South Africa) (operating as British Airways), Emirates, TAAG Angola Airlines, Air Namibia, and Malawian Airlines.

Local state-owned carrier Air Zimbabwe has also been affected with several aircraft currently grounded as they await the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe (RBZ) to disburse the necessary funds needed to procure spare parts. Given the capacity shortage, aircraft have had to be wet-leased in Air Zimbabwe Chief Executive Officer Ripton Muzenda said this week.

Zimbabwe’s already lingering foreign currency shortage has worsened since near centenarian president Robert Mugabe and his ZANU-PF government announced the introduction of a quasi-currency late last year. Under the programme, the RBZ has issued “Bond Notes” which have been given 1:1 parity value to their US Dollar equivalents.

However, instead of ameliorating the situation, the introduction of the notes has only exacerbated the shortage of hard currency given the local populace’s past experiences with world-record hyperinflation and the now deprecated Zimbabwe Dollar.

For his part, Mugabe has persistently blamed alleged US and European sanctions for suffocating economic growth. Critics, however, have instead pointed to anti-investment policies as well as pervasive corruption.

NAMIBIA: Air Namibia, Ethiopian Sign Code Share Agreement

Africa’s largest airline, Ethiopian Airlines, last week concluded a codeshare agreement with Air Namibia. The codeshare agreement covers Ethiopian thrice weekly services to Windhoek and the services of both airlines beyond their respective hubs. The agreement will allow both airlines to expand their global network through the services of each airline and also facilitate the provision of competitive and convenient travel choices to their respective customers.

Mr. Girma Shiferaw, Acting Vice President, Strategic Planning and Alliances said, 'We are glad to partner with Air Namibia. It is my sincere belief that such strategic collaboration among African airlines is one of the necessities to see African aviation thrive and grow faster in line with the economic development of the continent.

Now, customers of Air Namibia will enjoy seamless connection on Ethiopian ever expanding global network across five continents with a minimum layover in Addis Ababa; conversely, our passengers will be able to access destinations beyond Windhoek on Air Namibia flights'.

In response did Air Namibia's Acting Managing Director, Advocate Ellaine Priscilla Samson say: 'We are very pleased with the signing of the codeshare agreement with Ethiopia Airlines, an airline which achieved amazing accomplishments in the global arena. This will be an opportunity for the liberalization of intra-Africa air transport in furtherance of the Yamoussoukro Decision as two African carriers.

In addition, this will assist Air Namibia to expand its network via the global reach and stature of Ethiopia Airlines. Hence the teaming of our two airlines is the consummate endeavor of our continent moving towards a fuller liberalization in the aviation sector'.

The codeshare agreement will allow Ethiopian and Air Namibia to place their codes on each other’s flights beyond their respective hubs.Ethiopian will place its code on SW flights from Windhoek to Gaborone, Luanda, Victoria Falls, and Cape town, while Air Namibia will place it’s code on ET flights between Addis Ababa and Windhoek, Beijing, Lagos, Los Angeles, and São Paulo.

Ethiopian Airlines currently serves more than 90 global destinations across five continents with over 240 daily departures.

ZIMBABWE: FlyAfrica Zimbabwe Comming Back Again

The announcement yesterday by Fly Africa, that they will operate later today a flight between Harare and Johannesburg, has set tongues wagging among Zimbabwean and Southern African aviators.

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flyafrica.com

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flyafrica Zimbabwe to operate Harare – Johannesburg on Thursday, 5th November

flyafrica Zimbabwe is pleased to announce that it will operate on the route between Harare, Zimbabwe, and

Johannesburg, South Africa on Thursday 5 November. The flight from Johannesburg is scheduled to depart at 16.00 and will return from Harare at 18.05

flyafrica Zimbabwe is devoted to achieving a fully operational service on all Zimbabwean routes as speedily as possible thereafter.

In order to meet the expectations of loyal customers, flyafrica Zimbabwe has made the decision to combine passengers on the Johannesburg to Harare and Harare to Johannesburg routes on 5 November. Passengers booked for the 6am flight to Harare will be offered to depart on the 16.00 flight from Johannesburg. Passengers booked for the 10.00 flight to Johannesburg will be offered to depart on the 18:05 flight from Harare.

“We are fully committed to our loyal passengers and we are delighted to get partial operations up and running again tomorrow” saysflyafrica.comCEO Adrian Hamilton-Manns. “We apologise profusely for the disruption and inconvenience caused to our passengers and their families and are working around the clock to resume full operations as soon as possible.”

flyafrica Zimbabwe’s Bulawayo and Victoria Falls routes unfortunately remain suspended. An announcement on the resumption of these routes will be made as soon as possible.

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One particular source from Harare subsequently suggested that the continued absence of Fly Africa from the domestic route between Harare and Victoria Falls could indicate that their Air Operator Certificate allowing them to operate domestic flights had not been restored as of the time the statement was made. The same source also suggested that the service announced for Harare – Johannesburg was in fact only a return service of a flight originating in Johannesburg which could be operated under the airline’s South African AOC and traffic rights but may not in fact be a flight covered under the AOC which the CAAZ suspended at the end of October.

Continued and often very negative comments posted on the Fly Africa Facebook page www.facebook.com/flyafrica also indicate a growing anger among the airline’s erstwhile passengers who have since looked and very likely found alternative flights to travel on as they literally voted with their feet by walking away.

An added statement by the airline in regard of their Namibia operation too has swiftly prompted a number of comments, some of which were already posted days ago and mentioned here when a flight between Windhoek and Lanseria failed to operate, stranding scores of passengers at both airports.

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flyafrica.com

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flyafrica Namibia has unfortunately had to cancel today’s flights between Windhoek and Johannesburg as well as Windhoek and Cape Town due to the Namibian Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) authority requesting additional documentation in respect of the aircraft that flyafrica has been utilizing to fulfill the operation. The requested documentation was unable to be delivered to the Namibian DCA in time to allow today’s flights to operate as scheduled. flyafrica Namibia is working with the DCA to ensure that Friday’s flights will operate as scheduled. We would like to apologise to our passengers for the significant inconvenience caused as a result of today’s cancellations by flyafrica Namibia.

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Additional investigations and information obtained from local Namibian aviation sources however reveals a very different picture. It appears that national airline Air Namibia went to court to halt advertised flights between Windhoek and Johannesburg for lack of Fly Africa holding traffic rights, at which stage the South African destination was changed to the smaller Lanseria airport. This again appears to have prompted a challenge in court by the national airline, not only vis a vis Lanseria but also vis a vis Cape Town and that hearing is still due to take place but expected to produce a similar outcome as the initial challenge over destination Johannesburg.

Investigative findings also suggest that the legal platform used for the Fly Africa flights could be a company named as Nomad Aviation (PTY) Ltd. The Namibian Director of Civil Aviation, one Ms. Angeline Simana Paulo, has subsequently come under intense scrutiny over decisions taken in favour of Nomad Aviation, which while holding an AOC for ‘large aeroplanes’ as outlined under the Civil Aviation Regulations of Namibia (NAMCARS Part 121) has reportedly failed to meet the stringent criteria to put a B737-500 on their AOC.

Considering the fact that a number of ICAO consultants are presently working with the Namibian Directorate of Civil Aviation it will be of keen interest to see how they, tasked with improving the regulatory and supervisory environment of the Namibian DCA, will react or report back to ICAO in terms of present day compliance.

One thing again is painfully obvious for Fly Africa, that continued flight cancellations, for whatever reason, in both Zimbabwe and Namibia have caused them some serious problems in regard of public perception over how forthcoming they were with their statements, with added unanswered questions what they knew and when they knew it in the time frame of eventual disclosure.

Other airlines in the region will no doubt be the main beneficiaries of these rocky times for Fly Africa in Zimbabwe and Namibia and once the market is saturated with doubts and mistrust the outcome will be almost predictable.

NAMIBIA: Namibia May See Non-stop Flights To Germany

Namibia, in south-west Africa, is the world’s 34th largest country (two-thirds the size of neighbouring South Africa) and yet has a population of just 2.1 million people. As a result, its population density is lower than even Australia and Iceland and just about the lowest on the planet. The capital, Windhoek, is served by two airports. The delightfully-named Eros is just seven kilometres from downtown and is used only for domestic flights while Hosea Kutako airport is over 40 kilometres from the city centre and is used almost exclusively for international services. Last year the airport handled around 680,000 passengers, just over 4% down on the previous year when over 710,000 passengers were processed (Source: ICAO). This ranks it somewhere between 30th and 40th among African airports.


Air Namibia is the country’s dominant carrier and only provider of scheduled services at several airports. South African Airways serves both Cape Town and Johannesburg from Windhoek (in competition with Air Namibia), while TAAG Angola Airlines operates non-stop to both Luanda and Lubango. British Airways has a presence thanks to South African franchise partner Comair which also operates daily flights to Johannesburg.

airberlin is the only other scheduled carrier present with a twice-weekly service to Munich. The viability of the German market can be traced to the fact that the country was under German rule from 1884 to 1915, although it is a brave network planner who puts that kind of unqualified argument straight into a business plan.

Air Namibia’s fleet includes A340s and 19-seat B1900s

The country’s state-owned national airline, Air Namibia, currently operates a relatively small fleet of just eight aircraft, these comprising two A340-300s, two 737-500s and four 19-seat Beechcraft 1900D. The latter are used for domestic and near regional services while the 278-seat A340s are reserved for the airline’s intercontinental route to Frankfurt, further highlighting the importance of the German market.

According to various sources, since the end of April this year, an A319 has been wet leased from Balkan Holidays Air. In the recent past the airline has also operated 747s, MD-11s and Dash 8s. It is believed to be looking at replacing some of its existing fleet with newer aircraft.

Up until the end of May 2009, Air Namibia also served London Gatwick non-stop with twice-weekly flights. In 2008 the route generated 42,509 passengers (Source: UK CAA). The two German routes generated 159,000 passengers in 2009, 126,000 on the Frankfurt route and 33,000 on the Munich route (Source: Destatis).
Remake of ‘The Prisoner’ filmed in Swakopmund

A recent remake of the cult 1960s TV series ‘The Prisoner’ was filmed predominantly in Namibia (the original was shot in Portmeirion in Wales). Thanks to the region’s historic links with Germany, there are a number of incongruous appearing German-style buildings in the coastal town of Swakopmund which is also close to a desert region. Whether this will have any impact on inbound tourism (or the resumption of non-stop services from the UK to Namibia) remains to be seen.