25 July 2014

Air Namibia: Windhoek <> Frankfurt flights temporary re-routed to Gaborone!

update (31 July 2014): I don't get it. What the heck is going on there? For some reasons Air Namibia was allowed to operate its yesterday night flight from Windhoek to Frankfurt from Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH). The flight from Frankfurt to Windhoek was also operated directly into Windhoek. All operations of today (31 July 2014) will also be as per normal. We'll keep you posted!

update (30 July 2014): Air Namibia has issued a press release and confirmed that the downgrade has been re-enforced and that any exemptions that might have been granted have been revoked. To minimise the impact of the inconvenience caused to passengers, Air Namibia will operate Airbus A319-100’s to ferry its passengers between Windhoek and Lusaka. The airline expects to operate in this manner for the next two weeks or until such time.

update (30 July 2014): According to Namibian newspaper Allgemeine Zeitung, officials in Namibia have with immediate effect revoked the decision to grant Air Namibia an examption to fly in and out of Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) with the airline's Airbus A330-200. Air Namibia's flights between Windhoek and Frankfurt (Germany) are therefore now re-routed to Lusaka in Zambia. We'll keep you posted!

update (28 July 2014): According to Air Namibia, the airline received exemption from the Minister of Works & Transport in respect of the requirements for rescue and fire fighting services (RFFS) as applicable to the operation of its Airbus A330-200 fleet into and out of Windhoek's Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH). Flights between Windhoek and Frankfurt therefore commenced operations as normal effective the evening of 24 July 2014, and there shall not be any further diversions of our flights to  Gaborone in Botswana.

Namibia's main airport, Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) in Windhoek, has been downgraded from Category 9 to Category 5 following an audit by the Directorate of Civil Aviation (DCA) on Namibia Airports Company’s (NAC) facilities. The downgrading implicates that Air Namibia is currently not authorised to operate flights into and out of Windhoek with an Airbus A330-200, which requires a category 8 airport for landing and take-off. The airline is therefore forced to (temporary) re-route its flights between Frankfurt and Windhoek, operated on board an Airbus A330-200, to Gaborone in Botswana. From Gaborone Air Namibia ferries its passengers on board an Airbus A319-100 to Windhoek. Flight departure times remain the same but arrival times vary depending on aircraft availability.
Air Namibia expectes that the Namibia Airports Company will execute and rectify the respective shortcomings (inadequacy of fire and rescue equipment), which will result in Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) being upgraded to Category 9 again. Good luck!

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