2020 saw its fair share of airline bankruptcies, many due to the COVID crisis. Government support went a long way for many, saving numerous airlines from unavoidable bankruptcy. At the end of 2020, 34 airlines had folded, and now we’ve already begun to see the first casualties of 2021.
The airline revealed that all flights would be canceled with aircraft returning to their bases. According to news sources the airline has been placed into liquidation by the government, its sole shareholder. According to the publication, the country’s Minister of State Enterprises said that the airline’s assets must be protected.
Air Namibia had some 600 employees who will now be laid off. All employees are reportedly set to receive 12 months of pay as part of a severance package. The airline’s phone lines are no longer being answered. However, the airline did say that passengers with bookings should contact them for a refund.
Air Namibia (Pty) Limited, which traded as Air Namibia, was the national airline of Namibia, headquartered in the country’s capital, Windhoek. The origins of the airline trace back to November 1946, when South West Air Transport (SWAT) was established. Using Ryan Navion aircraft, this carrier started operations in 1949 linking Windhoek with Grootfontein. It operated 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 was wholly owned by the Namibian government. Air Namibia was a member of both the International Air Transport Association and the African Airlines Association.
Air Namibia had a reasonably small fleet comprising of eight aircraft.
The fleet, at the time of its closure, stood as follows,
2 x Airbus A319 Parked up
2 x Airbus A330 Parked up
1 x Beech 1900B In service
3 x Embraer ERJ-135 In service
3 x Embraer ERJ-135 In service
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