This article is only available for ch-aviation PRO subscribers.
Air Botswana (BP, Gaborone) has been allocated BWP165.9 million pula (USD12.7 million) for the 2023/24 financial year for the “refurbishment” of the airline’s fleet, reports Mmegi online, citing a note accompanying the draft estimate from the National Treasury.
“…Air Botswana finances need to be increased by BWP35 million (USD2.6 million) from BWP133.6 million (USD10.2 million) to BWP168.6 million to adequately cater for [the] refurbishment of Air Botswana’s fleet,” the note is cited. The planned funding was yet to be assessed and approved by legislators.
Air Botswana general manager Agnes Khunwana was not immediately available for comment.
The allocation to the airline was not specifically mentioned in the 2023 budget speech in Parliament on February 6 by Finance Minister Peggy Serame.
It reportedly falls under the Transitional National Development Plan, which runs from April 2023 to March 2025. The additional funds for the national carrier will come from the proposed budget for civil aviation infrastructure. In 2020, the state assisted Air Botswana with BWP100 million (USD7.6 million) to weather Covid-19-linked losses.
The airline…
The estate of defunct Comair (South Africa) has announced it is seeking USD83 million in damages from Boeing in a US federal court, citing fraud and breach of contract concerning the purchase of eight B737 MAXs.
In a summons filed in the US District Court in Seattle on February 6, 2023, Comair accuses Boeing of placing profits over safety and having led with a plan of deception. Comair said it had “relied on Boeing’s misrepresentations and concealment of material facts in deciding to purchase eight B737 MAX aircraft”.
Boeing declined to comment on inquiry from ch-aviation. “We don’t comment on pending litigation,” a spokesperson said.
In a statement issued in Seattle, Comair said it had paid Boeing more than USD45 million in advanced payments for seven B737-8s and full payment on the one B737 MAX it had received. ZS-ZCA (msn 60432) was delivered on February 25, 2019, according to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module.
Comair cancelled the order following the worldwide 20-month grounding of the type in the wake of…
Namibia’s ruling party keen to revive Air Namibia
Namibia’s ruling South West Africa People’s Organisation (SWAPO) wants the government to resurrect Air Namibia with some of the remaining fleet of the defunct carrier to provide the large, arid country with regional connectivity, according to a resolution taken at the party’s recent seventh elective congress in Windhoek.
“Revive Air Namibia to provide regional connectivity to destinations such as Johannesburg O.R. Tambo, Cape Town (South Africa), Lusaka (Zambia), Harare International (Zimbabwe), Gaborone (Botswana), Luanda 4 De Fevereiro (Angola), Maputo (Mozambique), Addis Ababa (Ethiopia), Nairobi Jomo Kenyatta (Kenya), and similar,” the resolution urged.
“With some aircraft capacities remaining in Namibia in the form of the Embraer and Airbus regional jets, Air Namibia’s excellent safety reputation could be resuscitated,” it added, as quoted by The Namibian newspaper.
However, Finance and Public Enterprises Deputy Minister Maureen Hinda-Mbuende said the status quo of Air Namibia would not be reviewed in the next financial year. Still, the government has not closed the book on the carrier. “It’s not on the…
Fiji Airways CEO talks N. America, Nadi stopover strategy
This article is only available for ch-aviation PRO subscribers.
This content was originally published here.