Namibia’s Ministry of Works and Transport has confirmed that it is in discussions with Ethiopian Airlines about potential strategic and technical cooperation as the government works towards establishing its proposed national carrier, Namibia Air.
The announcement was made by Namibian Ministry of Works and Transport Executive Director Jonas Sheelongo on September 2 following reports of a leaked document that raised concerns about foreign involvement in the national airline.
The document allegedly stated that Ethiopian Airlines proposed that Namibia Air begins operating with three ATR 72-600 aircraft, which should be leased rather than purchased.
It also reportedly proposed removing the Windhoek-Johannesburg, Windhoek-Cape Town and Windhoek-Luanda routes from the initial network while recommending one daily flight to Johannesburg at the start of operations, reports NBC.
Sheelongo confirmed that discussions with Ethiopian Airlines had taken place while consultations with local aviation partners and other relevant stakeholders are ongoing.
“These engagements form part of a comprehensive and open process to assess the most viable and sustainable model for operationalising Namibia Air. The primary purpose of these consultations is to ensure that the mistakes of the past, which ultimately led to the financial collapse and closure of Air Namibia, are avoided at all costs in the establishment and operation of the new national airline,” he said.
According to a July 8 Government Gazette, Namibia Air has submitted applications to the Transport Commission of Namibia for scheduled air services and non-scheduled air services licences, as reported by Travel News.
Ethiopian Airlines has been involved in the establishment and operation of several African carriers and currently holds equity stakes in Malawi Airlines, Zambia Airways and ASKY Airlines in Togo.
