From The Namibian (global airlines)

THE Namibia Airports company yesterday said more airlines have applied to fly into Namibia as part of the Bilateral Air Services Agreements.

Addressing a media conference in Windhoek, the airports company’s chief executive officer Tamer El-Kallawi said among those whose applications are being considered are the Turkish, Kenyan and Emirates airlines.

Namibia has already permitted Qatar, KLM Royal Dutch, Ethiopian and Condor airlines to fly into the country, although Air Namibia has expressed concern.

Qatar will start flying from Doha to Windhoek with four weekly direct flights from 28 September 2016, while KLM will start flying from Amsterdam to Luanda, then to Windhoek, three times a week from 30 October.

Ethiopian Airlines will link Windhoek-Gaborone-Durban three times per week from 4 October this year.

El-Kallawi said Ethiopian Airlines has been applying to fly into Namibia since 2007.

The newly appointed board chairperson, Rodgers Kauta, said at the media briefing that the airports company does not grant permission to any airline which wants to fly into Namibia, but it was part of government-to-government agreements.

“The arrival of the new airlines is made possible by the international cooperation efforts of our government, which signed and effectively implemented Bilateral Air Services Agreements with the respective countries of the State of Qatar, the Kingdom of Netherlands and the Federal Republic of Ethiopia,” he explained.

Kauta insisted that the launch of air services between countries starts with the respective governments signing those bilateral agreements, and then each country designates an airline to benefit from the agreement and to provide air services between the two countries.

Read more at The Namibian