The soon-to-be-established national airline, Namibia Air (Pty) Ltd, plans to acquire seven Embraer aircraft worth an estimated US$36 million as it seeks approval to launch scheduled and non-scheduled passenger and cargo services across Namibia, Africa and selected intercontinental destinations.
According to applications published in the Government Gazette of 8 July 2026, the airline intends to purchase four Embraer ERJ145 aircraft at an estimated cost of US$3 million each and three Embraer E170/E175 jets at an estimated US$8 million each. The company currently owns no aircraft and has no leased fleet.
The applications, published in terms of the Air Services Act, allow interested parties 21 days to submit representations to the Transport Commission of Namibia.
Namibia Air plans to base its operations at Hosea Kutako International Airport and Eros Airport in Windhoek, serving domestic, regional and intercontinental destinations. Its proposed domestic network includes routes linking Windhoek, Walvis Bay, Ondangwa, Rundu, Mpacha, Lüderitz and Oranjemund, while regional services would connect Namibia with Johannesburg, Cape Town, Luanda, Gaborone, Durban, Victoria Falls, Harare, Maun, Kasane, Francistown, Livingstone and Lusaka.
The airline said it intends to carry both passenger and cargo traffic, estimating a domestic and intra-African market of around 800 000 passengers. Passenger services would cater for business and economy travellers, while cargo operations would include airmail, general freight, perishables, live animals, dangerous goods and other specialised cargo.
Namibia Air has proposed average one-way fares ranging from about N$536 between Windhoek and Walvis Bay to approximately N$2340 between Windhoek and Victoria Falls, excluding airport taxes and security charges. The company said it would apply dynamic pricing, with the published fares serving as target averages.
The same Government Gazette also contains an application by Namibia Aviation Services CC, trading as Windhoek Flight Training Centre, to amend its Aerial Works Air Service Licence by adding an Airbus EC130-T2 helicopter to expand its aerial works operations. The Namibian government said earlier this year that a new national airline, Namibia Air, would be launched before the end of 2026, as concerns grow over transparency and oversight.
It said a technical team was reviewing different operating models, including possible partnerships with international airlines such as Ethiopian Airlines.
In February 2021, the government said it had assessed all available options and concluded that the then national airline, Air Namibia was not profitable, noting that the airline had struggled financially since its inception. At the time, it was estimated that more than N$8 billion in public funds had been spent on sustaining the airline.
