Namibia Air has been selected as the name of the country’s proposed new national airline, with a targeted launch in the next financial year, according to Works and Transport Minister Veikko Nekundi.
Speaking on Namibia's Desert Radio, Nekundi confirmed Cabinet approval for the name and said the company would be registered as Namibia Air (Pty) Ltd with 100% state ownership and an interim ten-member board.
He said the ministry was finalising market analysis, traffic forecasting, and the business model.
A fleet plan will be the next phase of analysis, he said. The government has not yet decided whether to buy or lease aircraft. Nekundi said this decision would follow further economic analysis. "Once we have analysed all those economic metrics, we will again update the public," he said.
Nekundi said that former employees of liquidated predecessor Air Namibia may be considered for employment at Namibia Air if they have the right skills and experience. The new airline will have a lean workforce in line with global efficiency standards, he stressed, and "everything will be weighed against the business case for the company to survive and be sustainable."
The new carrier must avoid the commercial missteps that contributed to Air Namibia’s collapse, particularly uncompetitive lease rates, overstaffing, and unprofitable routes. All decisions on routes, fleet, and staffing will be commercially driven to ensure long-term sustainability and to protect taxpayer funds.
The airline is also expected to support Namibia’s regional integration goals by using newly ratified fifth-freedom rights to bolster connectivity and trade within Africa. Nekundi said the carrier could also seek strategic partnerships and feeder arrangements with other airlines as part of its growth plan.
He reiterated that the government's decision to reestablish a national airline followed "clear policy directives". The establishment of a national airline was included in the ruling South West African People's Organisation (SWAPO) 2024 election manifesto implementation plan. SWAPO has been campaigning for a new national carrier since 2022.
Air Namibia, the former flag carrier, was voluntarily liquidated under the previous administration in March 2021 after costing the nation NAD8 billion Namibian dollars (USD467 million) in state bailouts over three decades. At the time of its collapse, Air Namibia's fleet consisted of four A319-100s (two owned and two leased from Deucalion Aviation), two A330-200s leased from Castlelake, four owned E135s, and one B737-500.
Startup Fly Etosha (Windhoek Eros) sought to replace Air Namibia by June 2023 but never managed to secure a licence. The SWAPO government also spoke to Ethiopian Airlines about reviving a Namibian flag carrier, but nothing materialised.
Domestic and regional connectivity is currently provided by private Namibian airline FlyNamibia, a joint venture between Namibian charter/ACMI provider Westair Aviation (WAA, Windhoek Eros) and Airlink (South Africa). Airlink holds a 30% market share at Windhoek International in terms of weekly airline seats, according to ch-aviation data. International capacity is also provided by South African Airways, Discover Airlines, Ethiopian Airlines, TAAG Angola Airlines, FlySafair, and Proflight Zambia.
