Namibia’s only airline, FlyNamibia, told Tourism Update that its expansion plans were well under way, having specifically targeted Victoria Falls and Maun as new routes with significant growth potential.
The airline launched its new thrice-weekly service from Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) to Maun International Airport (MUB) on July 3. The return flight to WDH operates via Katima Mulilo (MPA) in Namibia.
FlyNamibia launched its VFA flights on April 4.
More positive news came from Andre Compion, MD of FlyNamibia, who told Travel News that the carrier expected to achieve profitability next year.
“New route development requires a huge capital investment and such routes only become profitable after a year of operation, hence our forecast that overall profitability would be achieved during 2025,” said Compion.
He said FlyNamibia was committed not only to the retention of existing aviation capacity but also to the training of new entrants into the industry.
“We invest heavily in the training of Namibians as pilots, engineers, cabin crew and supporting services in our efforts to grow the industry and support the growth of the Namibian economy, which would be impossible without safe and reliable scheduled air services.”
He did, however, admit that challenges remained for FlyNamibia.
These include Namibia’s domestic market being very small and the long distances between the points served by the airline.
“It remains hugely challenging to offer the level of service required from a scheduled airline such as FlyNamibia,” said Compion.
He added that due to exchange rate challenges, all aviation services had become very costly to offer on a sustainable basis.
“Offering larger and more cost-effective capacity on domestic and regional routes, FlyNamibia will greatly contribute to the stimulation of more demand that will benefit all involved in the sector.”
Regardless of these challenges, Compion believes that Namibia is at the dawn of a new era of economic prosperity with the development of the oil and gas industries as well as alternative energy sectors, mining and tourism.
“We see great potential in providing our services as demand increases with the growth in the above sectors.”
Additionally, Airlink’s 40% strategic equity holding partnership in FlyNamibia allows the Namibian carrier access to the flights of Airlink’s global partners through codeshare and interline agreements.
“This effectively allows connectivity from almost any point on the globe to WDH and then to the points FlyNamiba flies to,” Compion noted.
He concluded by saying that FlyNamibia was delighted with the support it had received from all its stakeholders and that the airline would continue to pursue its mandate to contribute to the growth of the Namibian economy through the development of the country’s aviation sector.
Article by Christiaan Schultz – TourismUpdate
