- Namibia Air received five-year air service licences effective from 6 August 2026
- First commercial flights are targeted for the first week of December 2026
- The airline plans to acquire four E145s and three E170s/E175s for USD35 million
- An air operator certificate must still be obtained through a 90-day process
- FlyNamibia remains the only scheduled passenger airline currently operating in the country
- Air Nambia was liquidated in 2021
Namibia Air has received scheduled and non-scheduled air service licences from Namibia’s Transportation Commission, and this development marks a key milestone in establishing the country’s new national carrier. The licences, effective from 6 August 2026 and valid for five years, were handed to minister of works and transport, Veikko Nekundi, before being presented to interim board chairman, Jonas Sheelongo, in Windhoek. The airline may now acquire aircraft, with first commercial flights targeted for the first week of December 2026.
The start-up intends to operate scheduled and charter flights across Namibia and internationally, using a fleet of four E145s and three E170s or E175s, to be acquired for USD35 million. Before operations can begin, Namibia Air must still obtain an air operator certificate, a five-stage certification process the transport ministry expects to complete within 90 days. Sheelongo has confirmed that lessons learned from the collapse of Air Namibia would help ensure the new carrier’s long-term sustainability.
President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah directed the establishment of the airline following Air Namibia’s liquidation in February 2021, with the defunct carrier having accumulated USD11.3 million in debt over lease arrears to now-defunct Belgian carrier Challengair. Sheelongo made no mention of a proposed partnership with Ethiopian Airlines or any other airline. FlyNamibia currently remains the country’s only scheduled passenger airline, while Airlink holds more than 32pc market share at Windhoek International in terms of weekly passenger seats.
Air Namibia was formally liquidated on 26 March 2021 after the Namibian government decided to shut down the state-owned carrier due to insolvency and unsustainable debts. At the time of its collapse, the airline had amassed billions in debt and relied heavily on over N$8–9 billion in state bailouts over the preceding decade.
Interim board chairman Jonas Sheelongo shared: “Lessons learned from the collapse of Air Namibia will help ensure the new carrier’s long-term sustainability.”
