AIR NAMIBIA SEEKS PERMISSION TO DIVERT FLIGHTS TO LUSAKA THE Namibian national carrier,Air Namibia, is seeking permission from relevant Zambia authorities to divert its flights to Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka. This follows the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) revoking the Air Namibia’s rights to continue operating its Airbus A330 flights. The recent ICAO audit on Namibia Airports Company facilities at Windhoek’s Hosea Kutako International Airport resulted in the downgrade of the airport from a Category 9 to a Category 5 airport. The downgrade of Hosea Kutako Airport affected all aircraft requiring Category 7 and higher rescue and fire-fighting services. As a result, Air Namibia can no longer operate the A330-200 fleet in or out of the Hosea Kutako International Airport until such time that Namibia Airports Company, which owns, operates and manages the airport rectifies the shortcomings to the satisfaction of ICAO. The revision of the exemption not only negatively affects Air Namibia, but also other airlines operating larger aircraft into Hosea Kutako. According to Hilia Sikanda from the Air Namibia corporate communications department, to minimise the impact of the inconvenience caused to passengers as a result of the NAC’s shortcomings, Air Namibia has in the meantime scheduled flight SW 285 initially meant to depart from Windhoek to Frankfurt, will now depart on Lusaka,Zambia . Affected passengers will be flown to Lusaka with two A319- 100’s and then further proceed with ferried A330 flights. Flight SW 286 from Frankfurt to Windhoek also divert to Lusaka and passengers will be flown to Windhoek the next day using the two A319-100.
Posted on: Thu, 31 Jul 2014 10:26:26 +0000
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