Downgrading of HKIA Temporary: Nghimtina

One of two apron buses of the Namibia Airports (NAC) company pictured during the unveiling ceremony at the Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA) last year. Photo: Nampa

WINDHOEK  -The Minister of Works and Transport, Erkki Nghimtina says the Airport Rescue and Firefighting (ARFF) downgrading of the Hosea Kutako International Airport to category five is temporary.

Nghimtina made the remarks in Parliament on Thursday in response to a question posed to him by the Rally for Democracy and Progress (RDP)’s Heiko Lucks on what the current status of the airport is and what is being done to rectify it.

Lucks told the house that he learned with shock and dismay on national television on Thursday morning that the international airport had been downgraded and that Air Namibia planes could not land at the airport.

Nghimtina responded that for all countries in the world there is only one United Nations (UN) body that controls aviation.

He explained that for any country’s international airport to be rated, it is important to invite International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) validated teams to check whether a country is ready to fly to other countries or whether other countries are safe to come into a country or fly over the country’s space.

“Thus what you need mostly is compliance to ICAO requirements,” he informed the House.

African Aviation Must Implement Yamoussoukro Decision Now

Namibia could add more than 10 000 jobs and N$1 billion to its gross domestic product if African countries were to implement the Yamoussoukro Decision to liberalize its aviation industry.

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) published a report setting out the considerable social and economic benefits of intra-African air service liberalization.

The report, by the experienced independent economic consultants InterVISTAS, outlines the benefits that would accrue if 12 African nations were to implement the 1999 Yamoussoukro Decision. The 12 nations in the report are: Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, Tunisia and Uganda.  The Yamoussoukro Decision committed 44 signatory countries to deregulating air services and to opening regional air markets to transnational competition. The implementation of this agreement, however, has been slow, and the benefits have not been realized.

Yes! Air Namibia receives Air Operator Certificate

Director of Civil Aviation (DCA) in Namibia, Angeline Simana-Paulo

Air Namibia on Monday finally received its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) after operating without formal documentation since its licence expired on 16 June 2014.

The airline was given two weeks to comply with civil aviation regulations, or lose its air operator certificate.

“Air Namibia’s operational team has managed to close major findings in the two weeks’ extension, which expired on 30 June 2014, that the airline was granted by the Director of Civil Aviation (DCA) (Angeline Simana Paulo). This led to the airline receiving its Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from the DCA on 30 June 2014,” the spokesperson of the Air Namibia Board of Directors, Tim Ekandjo said in a statement issued here on Tuesday.

Air Namibia gets new operational turnaround team

Press release:

The Board of Directors proudly welcomes and introduces the new team of competent and experienced persons who are vested with the responsibility of guaranteeing the effective and efficient functioning of Air Namibia Quality Assurance System, of an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) as required by the aviation act of 1962 act number 74.

The Board is confident that the team with over 100yrs of cumulative experience amongst themselves are duly equipped to ensure safe operational practices and airworthy aeroplanes and ensure that all operations are conducted in accordance with all applicable requirements, standards and procedures.

All persons have been certified acceptable by the DCA in accordance with the FPP (Fit For Purpose Person) assessment. The Board and Management team also express their gratitude to the DCA for the role they play as regulators with ensuring our safe and secure operations.

Critical to these operational areas are our support functions of Finance, Commercial Services, Human Capital and Corporate Services, which will continue rendering support and guidance to ensure that overall commercial and strategic objectives are met.

The world class team of experts will pursue a BOT (Build – Operate – Transfer) model engagement aimed at empowering Namibians to take over post holder positions in the near future.

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Win free flights with Air Namibia at Namibia Tourism Expo

Visitor’s to Air Namibia’s stand at the Namibia Tourism Expo stand a chance to win free flights to Frankfurt, Johannesburg or Cape Town and to any domestic destination.

“We exhibit at the tourism expo as it is a great opportunity to network with fellow tourism partners, but also to interact with the flying public.  We always get a wealth of feedback and suggestions from passengers at the expo, which we greatly appreciate, and take into consideration in our product and service offering,” says Air Namibia’s Commercial Manager: Sales & Marketing Nathaly Ahrens.

“The atmosphere at the expo is relaxed and friendly, which promotes a free exchange of ideas, and many passengers have walked away saying “Now I understand.” or “Thank you for explaining.  We never realised that.”

Ahrens says that the expo theme for this year focuses on our excellent on-time-performance in the last year, as well as that Air Namibia currently have the youngest fleet of aircraft in Africa.

“We are running a competition again with great prizes:

The competition will be based on a fact sheet which will contain the answers.

Air Namibia, Namibia’s national airline, operates scheduled flights and carries cargo (freights) on domestic, regional and intercontinental flights.  The airline was founded in 1947 as South West Air Transport, which later changed to South West Airways.  In 1992, the airline’s name was changed to Air Namibia.

The mandate of Air Namibia is to be a major contributor towards the attraction and promotion of tourism to Namibia by providing air transport services between Namibia and other countries, as well as by operating flights within the boundaries of Namibia.

The airline is positioned as a niche carrier serving domestic points within Namibia, the immediate regional markets of South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Angola.  Points beyond (Asia, USA, Middle East and Europe) are serviced in conjunction with partner airlines via their gateways: Frankfurt, Johannesburg and Lusaka.

The Namibia Tourism Expo take place from 4 – 7 June at the Windhoek Show Grounds.

Photo: Air Namibia / Airbus