Air Namibia

Air Namibia
IATA ICAO Callsign
SW NMB NAMIBIA
Founded 1978 (1978)
Hubs
Secondary hubs
Frequent-flyer program Reward$
Fleet size 10
Destinations 15
Company slogan Carrying the spirit of Namibia[1]
Parent company Government of Namibia (100%)
Headquarters Windhoek, Namibia
Key people
Website www.airnamibia.com.na

Air Namibia (Pty) Limited, which trades as Air Namibia,[3] is the national airline of Namibia,[4] headquartered in Windhoek.[5] It operates scheduled domestic, regional, and international passenger and cargo services, having its international hub in Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport and a domestic hub at the smaller Windhoek Eros Airport.

As of December 2013, the carrier is wholly owned by the Namibian government.[6] Air Namibia is a member of both the International Air Transport Association and the African Airlines Association.

History

The origins of the airline trace back to November 1946, when South West Air Transport (SWAT) was established. Using Ryan Navion equipment, this carrier started operations in 1949 linking Windhoek with Grootfontein.[nb 1] Charter and cargo flights were also undertaken. In 1950, the company started feeder services for South African Airways. By 1958, a fleet of seven Ryan Navions and one de Havilland Dragon Rapide served a route network that included Grootfontein, Tsumeb, Otjiwarongo, Outjo, Swakopmund, Walvis Bay and Windhoek.[8] On 26 March 1959,[9] SWAT merged with Oryx Aviation —a small passenger airline established three years earlier[10]— to form South West Airways (Afrikaans: Suidwes Lugdiens).[11][12] IATA membership was gained later that year.[13]

Two Cessna 205s were purchased, entering the fleet in December 1962 and eventually replacing the Navions.[8] Namibair, set up as a charter airline in 1963, became a subsidiary company of Suidwes Lugdiens in 1966.[14] In 1969, Safmarine acquired a 50% stake in Suidwes,[14] eventually boosting its participation to 85%.[15] At February 1970, the Suidwes fleet comprised four Aztecs, one Beaver, two Cherokees, one Cessna 182, one Cessna 205, one Cessna 206, one Cessna 402, three DC-3s and five Twin Comanches; at this time the carrier had 45 employees.[16] A Fairchild-Hiller FH-227 was acquired in 1974, and a Convair 580 was later incorporated into the fleet to perform charter flights carrying miners to their jobs in Grootfontein and Tsumeb.[8]

Suidwes merged into Namib Air on 1 December 1978.[7][8] The South-West African government became the major shareholder in 1982.[17] Following the creation of the South-West Africa National Transport Corporation in 1986, Namib Air took over all air transport operations in the country.[18] The airline was designated as the country's flag carrier in 1987.[7][18] That year, two 19-seater Beech 1900s were bought. In 1988, the company was incorporated into the Namibian state-owned holding company Transnamib.[10] On 6 August 1989, a Boeing 737-200 leased from South African Airways that flew the Windhoek–Johannesburg route inaugurated the carrier's jet era.[19][20] In October the same year, a third Beech 1900 was incorporated into the fleet.[10]

An Air Namibia Boeing 747-400 departs Frankfurt Airport in 2001.

Services to Lusaka and Luanda were launched in 1990 and 1991, respectively.[10] Following the independence of the country, the company was re-christened again, adopting the current name of Air Namibia in October 1991.[7] The early 1990s also saw the launch of long-haul services to Europe: the Windhoek–Frankfurt route started being flown in 1991 twice a week using a Boeing 747SP, and London was included into the route network in 1992,[17] with a non-stop flight.[21] In 1993, services to Frankfurt, which were served twice-weekly, were also extended to London.[21] Air Namibia was re-absorbed into the Namibian government after an injection of US$3,700,000 ($5,371,723 in 2016) in 1998, following the precarious cash position it was led into by TransNamib.[22]

By April 2000, employment was 418. At this time, Air Namibia operated a Boeing 727-100, two Boeing 737-200 Advanced, one Boeing 747-400 Combi and three Raytheon Beech C that served Cape Town, Frankfurt, Johannesburg, London, Luanda, Luderitz, Lusaka, Maun, Mokuti Lodge, Mpacha, Ondangwa, Oranjemund, Swakopmund, Victoria Falls, Walvis Bay and Windhoek.[23] That year, the airline joined the African Airlines Association.[24]

Destinations

As of October 2013, the route network comprised 16 destinations and 17 airports in eight different countries in Africa and Europe, with eight of these destinations being domestic ones.[25] Much of Air Namibia's capacity is deployed on services to South Africa, with Windhoek–Johannesburg and Windhoek–Cape Town being the largest regional routes, as of August 2013.[26]

Codeshare agreements

As of July 2013, Air Namibia has codeshare agreements with the following airlines, which are the current operators on the routes specified:

Fleet

An Air Namibia Airbus A340-300 at Frankfurt Airport in 2013.

Air Namibia acquired a new Boeing 747-400 Combi in April 1999 with financial aid from the U.S. Export Import Bank.[30] Named Welwitschia, the aircraft was handed over by the manufacturer in October that year.[31] The new machine, which had been previously ordered by Asiana but was later cancelled, came to replace the carrier's Boeing 747SP,[32] and was retired in 2004.[33] That year, the carrier started flying the MD-11.[34]

The first of three Embraer ERJ 135s the airline leased from Régional Compagnie Aérienne Européenne, intended to replace the Beechcraft 1900D park,[35] was received in February 2011;[36] likewise, the first of two leased Airbus A319-100s entered the fleet in October the same year.[33] Intended as a replacement for the Boeing 737 fleet,[33] the company ordered another two Airbus A319s in February 2012, in a deal worth US$90 million;[37][38] in July the same year, the carrier signed an agreement for the lease of two Airbus A330-200s, aimed at replacing the Airbus A340-300s.[39] Of the last two A319s ordered, the first one was incorporated into the fleet in early January 2013.[40]

In September 2013,[41] Air Namibia took delivery of its first Airbus A330-200 in Toulouse.[42][43]

Current

An Air Namibia Airbus A330-200 at Frankfurt Airport in 2014.

As of August 2014, the Air Namibia fleet consists of the following aircraft:[44]

Air Namibia Fleet
Aircraft In Fleet Orders Passengers
C Y Total
Airbus A319-100 4 — 16 96 112[33][40]
Airbus A330-200 2 — 30 214 244[45]
Embraer ERJ 135 4 — — 37 37
Total 10 —

Retired

An Air Namibia McDonnell Douglas MD-11 takes off from Zurich Airport in 2005.

The company previously operated the following equipment:[46]

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Also reported to having started operations in 1948.[7]

References

  1. ↑ "Air Namibia newly appointed Managing Director" (Press release). Air Namibia. 26 April 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  2. ↑ Air Namibia, Namases part ways. The Namibian, 30 June 2015
  3. ↑ "Air Namibia – Company Profile". Air Namibia. Retrieved 1 May 2015.
  4. ↑ Brandt, Edgar (24 January 2013). "Namibia: Air Nam Reduces Flights". AllAfrica.com. New Era. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013.
  5. ↑ "Air Namibia – Contact Us". Air Namibia. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  6. ↑ "Corporate Profile". Air namibia. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 4 "Directory: world airlines – Air Namibia [SW] (NMB)". Flight International: 70. 16 March 2004 – 22 March 2004. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Guttery (1998), p. 136.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "World airline directory – Namib Air". Flight International: 98. 30 March 1985. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Guttery (1998), p. 135.
  11. 1 2 3 "Commuter airlines directory – Namib Air". Flight International: 1411. 7 November 1981. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  12. ↑ "Air Transport – Air Malawi General Manager". Flight International: 996. 15 June 1967. Archived from the original on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2012. Mr G. T. van Rooyen has been appointed general manager of Air Malawi. He was formerly general manager of Suidwes Lugdiens, the South-West African carrier. After war service as a pilot with the South African Air Force, Mr Van Rooyen entered civil aviation in 1946 as a pilot with South West Air Transport and was appointed manager in 1948 and managing director in 1952. In 1959 he became general manager of Suidwes Lugdiens on its creation by the merger of South West and Oryx Aviation.
  13. ↑ "Brevities". Flight 76 (2633): 95. 28 August 1959. Archived from the original on 23 August 2013. Suidwes Lugdiens (Edms) Beperke—South West Airways (Pty.) Ltd. of Windhoek, South Africa, have been admitted as the tenth associate member of I.A.T.A.
  14. 1 2 "World airlines – Suidwes Lugdiens (Eiendoms) Beperk". Flight International 101 (3296): 43. 18 May 1972. Archived from the original on 23 August 2013.
  15. ↑ "Third-level airlines – Suidwes Lugdiens (Edms) Beperk". Flight International 107 (3440): 268. 13 February 1975. Archived from the original on 23 August 2013.
  16. ↑ "Third level ailines – Suidwes Lugdiens (Elendoms) Beperk". Flight International 97 (3179): 212. 12 February 1970. Archived from the original on 23 August 2013.
  17. 1 2 "About us – History | Air Namibia". Air Namibia. Archived from the original on 18 July 2012.
  18. 1 2 "World Airline Directory – Namib Air". Flight International: 106. 1 April 1989. Archived from the original (pdf) on 5 July 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  19. ↑ "Namib Air plans US flights". Flight International: 11. 2 September 1989. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012. SAA recently leased a Boeing 737 to Namib Air for its first jet flights between Windhoek, Johannesburg, and Cape Town.
  20. ↑ "World Airline Directory – Namib Air". Flight International: 113. 14 March 1990 – 20 March 1990. Archived from the original (PDF) on 5 July 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  21. 1 2 Guttery (1998), p. 134.
  22. ↑ Hilka Birns (9 December 1998). "Government saves Air Namibia". Flightglobal.com (Cape Town). Flight International. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  23. ↑ "World airline directory – Air Namibia". Flight International 157 (4722): 63. 4 April 2000 – 10 April 2000. ISSN 0015-3710. Archived from the original on 20 October 2013. Check date values in: |date= (help)
  24. ↑ "AFRAA Current members – Air Namibia". AFRAA. Retrieved 15 July 2011.
  25. ↑ "Flight Schedule (Effective 27 October 2013–30 November 2013)". Air Namibia. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 October 2013.
  26. ↑ "Air Namibia slowly moves to profitability, halfway through a five-year turnaround plan". Centre for Aviation. 21 August 2013. Archived 9 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  27. ↑ "Airline Routes". Air Transport World. 15 August 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2013. Kenya Airways and Air Namibia have signed a codeshare allowing connections between the airlines’ Nairobi and Windhoek hubs through Johannesburg in South Africa and Lusaka in Zambia.
  28. ↑ "Kenya Airways signs code share agreement with Air Namibia" (Press release). Air Namibia. 30 July 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 17 August 2013.
  29. ↑ "Kenya Airways signs code-share agreement with Air Namibia" (Press release). Kenya Airways. 30 July 2013. Archived from the original on 16 August 2013.
  30. ↑ "Air Namibia Acquires Boeing 747-400 Combi". Boeing. 21 April 1999. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013.
  31. ↑ "Air Namibia Takes Delivery Of Its First Boeing 747-400 Combi". Boeing. 22 October 1999. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013.
  32. 1 2 "Namibia boosts cargo with 747 Combi". Flightglobal. Flight International. 3 November 1999. Archived from the original on 5 July 2012.
  33. 1 2 3 4 Nyaungwa, Nyasha Francis (20 December 2012). "Namibia: National Airline Enters New Era". AllAfrica.com. Namibia Economist. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013.
  34. 1 2 "Directory: world airliners – MD-11". Flight International 166 (4957): 69. 26 October 2004 – 1 November 2004. Archived from the original on 23 August 2013. A large number of MD-11s are now operating as freighters, but Air Namibia became a new operator of the passenger version earlier this year Check date values in: |date= (help)
  35. ↑ "Aircraft News". Air Transport World. 3 February 2011. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012. ECC Leasing arranged the lease of three Embraer ERJ-135s operated by Air France subsidiary Regional to Air Namibia. The aircraft are intended to replace some of the African airline's turboprops and are slated for delivery in March.
  36. 1 2 "Air Namibia exploite son premier Embraer ERJ-135" [Air Namibia receives its first Embraer ERJ-135] (in French). Air Journal. 18 February 2011. Archived from the original on 3 July 2012.
  37. ↑ "Air Namibia commande deux Airbus A319" [Air Namibia orders two Airbus A319] (in French). Air Journal. 11 February 2012. Archived from the original on 3 July 2012. Retrieved 3 July 2012.
  38. ↑ Blachly, Linda (7 February 2012). "Air Namibia places order for two A319s". Air Transport World. Archived from the original on 1 May 2012.
  39. ↑ "Air Namibia signs lease agreement for two new Airbus A330-200 aircraft" (Press release). Air Namibia. 12 July 2012. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 October 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  40. 1 2 Poolman, Jan (7 January 2013). "Namibia: New Air Namibia Plane Arrives". AllAfrica.com. The Namibian. Archived from the original on 19 February 2013.
  41. ↑ Blachly, Linda (30 September 2013). "Air Namibia takes delivery of first A330-200". Air Transport World. Archived 11 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  42. ↑ Inambao, Chrispin (30 September 2013). "A330-200s to cut costs". New Era. Archived from the original on 1 October 2013.
  43. ↑ Kaira, Chamwe (27 September 2013). "AirNam new planes unprofitable, but will cut down costs". The Namibian. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013.
  44. ↑ "Our Fleet". Air Namibia. Archived 9 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  45. ↑ Nyaungwa, Nyasha Francis (13 July 2012). "Namibia: Air Namibia Introduces New Planes". AllAfrica.com. Namibia Economist. Archived from the original on 25 February 2013.
  46. ↑ "SubFleets for: Air Namibia". AeroTransport Data Bank. 9 April 2013. Archived from the original on 9 April 2013.
  47. ↑ "Our Fleet". Air Namibia. Archived from the original on 3 November 2013.
  48. 1 2 Penney, Stewart (31 March 1999). "Good business". Flightglobal.com. Flight International. Archived from the original on 5 July 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  49. ↑ "Air Namibia leases SAA 747SP". Flightglobal.com. Flight International. 19 May 1999. Archived from the original on 5 July 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012.
  50. ↑ Birns, Hilka (26 March 2002). "Air Namibia works new strategy". Flightglobal.com. Flight International. Archived from the original on 5 July 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2012. Air Namibia also has two Fokker F28s, one Boeing 737-200 leased from Safair and two EADS/Indonesian Aerospace CN235s.

Bibliography

External links

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