Important news from Air Namibia

[AfricaHunting.com]

Dear Travel Trade Partners

Please be informed that, following an audit by the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA) on Namibia Airports Company (NAC)’s facilities, Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA) has been downgraded from Category 9 to Category 5 effective 23rd July 2014.

The downgrading of the HKIA pose negative implications on the take-offs and landing of our A330-200 aircraft which requires category 8 airport for landing and take-off. This moratorium came into effect due to inadequacy of fire and rescue equipment by NCA.

On this background we are not authorized to operate into and out of Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport with immediate effect, with the A330-200. It is expected that Namibia Airports Company will execute and rectify the respective shortcomings, which will result in the international airport being upgraded to Category 9. Further updates on the normal operations of the A330-200 aircraft to/from HKIA will be communicated in due course.

To minimise the impact of the inconvenience caused to passengers as a result of the NAC’s shortcomings, Air Namibia has in the meantime initiated the following;


·Flight SW 286 from Frankfurt to Windhoek on 23rd July 2014 was diverted to land at Gaborone in Botswana on the morning of 24th July 2014.

·Flight SW 285 from Windhoek to Frankfurt scheduled to depart on 23rd July 2014 was cancelled. Affected passengers were ferried to Gaborone in Botswana on the morning of 24th July 2014 from where they boarded our flight to Frankfurt on the same morning. All affected passengers were informed to be at Hosea Kutako Airport in time for departure of the ferry flight to Gaborone at 04:00 (local time).

·Passengers who arrived on SW 286 at Gaborone from Frankfurt on the morning of 24th July 2014 were ferried from Gaborone to Windhoek the same morning using two of Air Namibia’s Airbus A319-100 aircraft.

We apologizes to all affected passengers and related stakeholders for the inconveniences caused by this unfortunate situation, and we further request all of you to direct all enquiries from passengers to Air Namibia’s Call Centre and the undersigned.

Kindest regards,

Hellena Kapiya-Nathinge
Sales & Marketing Executive
P.o. Box 731 Windhoek, Namibia
Air Namibia Town Office:Sanlam Building
C/o Fidel Castro & Werner List Street
Tel: +264 61 299 6138
Cell: +264 811 22 7274
Fax: +264 61 299 6146
E-mail: Hellena.kapiyanathinge@airnamibia.aero



Source: H.A.N (Hospitality Association of Namibia)

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

Dear Members
Attached we send you an article which is on the front page of the New Era today 24th July 2014.
It states that an Air Namibia plane had to land in Gabarone due to the abrupt downgrading of Hosea Kutako International Airport.

We are busy finding out if this is only a temporary occurrence or not.
We will definitely keep you posted, so that in turn you can also inform your clients accordingly.

Kind Regards,
Napha Office



Source: NAPHA

 

[enysse]

How did his not get fixed in time? I'm guessing some people relying on this route are screwed for awhile.

 

[jeffpg]

Wow!
I hope this gets corrected soon.

 

[blackdog001blackdog001]

This should not be a big surprie. They were close to having their airworthiness cert revoked several weeks ago. There have been several artcles in the on-line version of The Namibian newspaper going back several months, discussing their operational and safety problems.

 

[enysse]

Why would you not bring it up to code? Money, come on...one way or another it would have to be fixed no matter what.

 

[BRICKBURN]

This should not be a big surprie. They were close to having their airworthiness cert revoked several weeks ago. There have been several artcles in the on-line version of The Namibian newspaper going back several months, discussing their operational and safety problems.

It's not the airline. It's the AIRPORT that was downgraded.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I guess that firearm fee is not going to be the biggest problem anymore.

 

[AfricaHunting.com]

NEWSFLASH NEWSFLASH FRANKFURT SCHEDULE BACK TO NORMAL

Dear Travel Trade Partners

Kindly be pleasantly informed that since last night, Air Namibia’s FRANKFURT operations are back on schedule.

Meaning, our big bird (Airbus A33-200) is again operating out and into Hosea Kutako International Airport, with NO diversion anywhere else.

We are ecstatic about it.

Kindest regards,

Hellena Kapiya-Nathinge
Sales & Marketing Executive
P.o. Box 731 Windhoek, Namibia
Air Namibia Town Office:Sanlam Building
C/o Fidel Castro & Werner List Street
Tel: +264 61 299 6138
Cell: +264 811 22 7274
Fax: +264 61 299 6146
E-mail: Hellena.kapiyanathinge@airnamibia.aero



Source: H.A.N (Hospitality Association of Namibia)

 

[CAustin]

That must have been a shocker for some to land in Botswana instead of Nambia! I can imagine the problem with fire arms that must have caused.

 

[BRICKBURN]

I wish hunters could affect their income stream so drastically and they would drop this new firearms fee.