The Namibia Airports Company (NAC) made a positive return in the 2023/2024 financial year, recording a profit after tax of N$40 million. The company said this demonstrates the shared commitment to its strategic direction. The NAC is currently operating at approximately 92% of pre-COVID levels in terms of overall passenger volumes.
CEO Bisey /Uirab said the Hosea Kutako International Airport and Walvis Bay International Airport attained long-term operating certificates in terms of the Namibian Civil Aviation Regulatory requirements, valid until 5 December 2025.
Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo Airport, in Northern Namibia, was issued a three-year long-term licence, valid until 1 July 2027.
Namibia has recently seen new routes introduced, including Discover Airlines (Lufthansa Group), which plans to launch a new route from Munich to Windhoek, set for 1 April 2025.
Air Botswana’s inaugural route between Windhoek and Gaborone commenced in October, followed by the Maun-Windhoek and Kasane-Windhoek routes, which started in November.
Furthermore, FlySafair commenced operations in October, flying from Cape Town to Windhoek. South African Airways added a third frequency to its daily route between Johannesburg and Windhoek in October.
The company is committed to improving its airport infrastructure to support Namibia’s national development initiatives and harness the natural resources from the recent oil and gas discoveries, alongside Green Hydrogen initiatives.
The planned airport infrastructure developments include new infrastructure projects at Hosea Kutako International Airport, Eros, Andimba Toivo Ya Toivo, Katima Mulilo, Rundu, and Lüderitz Airports.
An audit held on 18 March 2023 by ICAO’s lead auditor issued preliminary results for Namibia with a score of 72.31%. The results indicated an overall improvement in the country’s aviation safety performance, ranking Namibia above the Eastern and Southern Africa region’s average of 60% and the global average of 69.3%.
The airlines flying into Namibia include Fly Namibia, South African Airways, Airlink, TAAG Angola, Qatar Airways, and Ethiopian Airlines, offering services to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Luanda, Doha, Addis Ababa, and Frankfurt.
Toska Sem, Director General of the Civil Aviation Authority, stated that Namibia is excited to implement the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) and looks forward to AFCAC’s support in raising awareness and providing more training for the initiative to successfully take off.
She added that the Hosea Kutako Congestion Alleviation Project will relieve congestion within the terminal building and ensure that it meets safety compliance standards.
Sem noted that although the national carrier, Air Namibia, has been liquidated, Namibia has seen an upward trend in air traffic movements, now at more than 50% of pre-COVID-19 levels. “This is a positive sign of economic recovery as we anticipate increased tourism, trade, and investment,” she said.
She further stated that Namibia is committed to implementing SAATM and is reviewing bilateral air service agreements to grant traffic rights to all African states.
