Air Botswana deploys plan to

Air Botswana has implemented a short-term strategic plan to stabilise its performance, starting with the completion of a mandatory C-check maintenance on its ATR72-600 on March 6, increasing the airline’s operational fleet to three aircraft, though it currently maintains a two-aircraft schedule. Answering a question in Parliament, Assistant Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, Mr Keoagile Atamelang said the process of operationalising two grounded ERJ145 aircraft had begun. That, he said, included a five-phase certification process and repatriation of the planes from Namibia, with the first aircraft expected to arrive in Botswana in April.

Mr Atamelang apprised Parliament that a crew re-qualification programme was underway to create a standby pool for all aircraft types by the end of April. Simultaneously, he said the airline was optimising its current crew assignments to better match flight operations. To bolster revenue, he said Air Botswana was implementing a tactical sales strategy, which included incentive programmes for travel agents, tour management companies and private firms.

“Interline and codeshare partnerships are being rationalised to offer a seamless travel experience and eliminate the need to collect baggage and re-check at connecting airports, including Johannesburg,” the assistant minister said. However, he indicated that external factors posed a significant threat owing to the conflict in the Middle East which had disrupted crew training slots in the UAE, while rising fuel prices in South Africa were also affecting ticket affordability. He further told Parliament that the airline did not achieve profitability by the end of December last year.

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To manage costs, he said Air Botswana trimmed its network last August, suspending routes that failed to cover direct operating costs which included Gaborone to Durban, Gaborone to Windhoek and Maun to Windhoek. “These suspensions saved the airline approximately P44 million between August and December last year,” he said. The assistant minister attributed the weak performance to low revenue generation and poor load factors or seat occupancy.

He cited loss of market share, intensifying competition and decline in public confidence due to unreliable operations as primary drivers. “This unreliability was caused by aircraft constraints and crew shortages,” he added. Maun North legislator, Mr Dumelang Saleshando, had asked the minister for an update on the airline’s profitability following previous presidential declarations and inquired whether a formal strategic plan was in place to ensure future financial viability.BOPA

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