Air Botswana scraps three routes as losses deepen
Lewanika Timothy | Monday March 16, 2026 09:05
The discontinued routes which are Gaborone–Durban, Gaborone–Windhoek and Maun–Cape Town were part of an expansion drive launched in late 2024 aimed at strengthening regional connectivity and boosting revenues for the struggling airline. Instead, the services have added to the airline’s financial pressures, forcing government to reassess the viability of some of its route network.
Addressing Parliament during the Committee of Supply, Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Noah Salakae confirmed that the routes had been discontinued as part of a broader restructuring strategy designed to stem mounting losses at the airline.
“The strategy clearly outlines immediate, medium and long-term interventions aimed at reclaiming the airline’s position as the regional airline of choice and a strategic partner for other economic sectors,” Salakae told legislators.
“To mitigate the ongoing losses, the new strategy also led to the discontinuation of three routes that had been introduced and operated between November 2024 and July 2025. These routes incurred net losses of P44.5 million during that period,” he said.
The route cuts highlight the persistent operational and financial difficulties facing the airline, which has for years struggled to achieve profitability despite repeated government bailouts, subventions and restructuring attempts.
Over the years, government has repeatedly stepped in to support the national carrier through budgetary allocations and operational grants as part of efforts to sustain strategic air connectivity for the country’s tourism sector. While exact annual figures vary, the airline has historically relied on state support to cover operational shortfalls, reflecting the broader challenges facing small national carriers operating in highly cOmpetitive regional markets.
Air Botswana’s latest expansion drive followed the introduction of additional regional jet capacity and was aimed at strengthening connectivity across Southern Africa while capturing growing tourism flows into Botswana’s key destinations such as Maun and Kasane.
Among the routes introduced during the expansion were connections linking Gaborone to Durban and Windhoek, as well as tourism-focused services connecting Maun to Cape Town.
However, weak passenger demand, operational disruptions and increasing competition from larger regional carriers have undermined the commercial viability of several of these routes.
Regional airlines operating into Botswana often benefit from larger fleets, stronger capital backing and broader route networks, enabling them to spread operational costs across more markets and offer more competitive pricing.
Operational challenges have further compounded Air Botswana’s difficulties. Aircraft availability has at times been constrained by maintenance requirements, with planes periodically grounded for repairs, affecting schedule reliability and passenger confidence.
Government has now moved to implement a broader turnaround strategy aimed at stabilising the airline’s finances and repositioning it within the regional aviation market.
According to Salakae, the restructuring plan includes intensifying charter operations, exploring aircraft leasing opportunities, introducing packaged travel offerings and expanding the airline’s maintenance and repair capabilities.
“These interventions include intensifying charter operations and aircraft leasing, introducing travel packages, expanding the maintenance and repair facility, undertaking a feasibility study for cargo operations, and restructuring the airline,” the minister said.
The strategy also proposes conducting a feasibility study into cargo operations, a segment that government believes could provide an additional revenue stream if successfully developed.
However, charter operations typically serve as a supplementary revenue stream rather than a core airline business model. While charters can help generate short-term income by utilising idle aircraft, they rarely provide the steady passenger volumes needed to sustain a scheduled airline.
Transport infrastructure more broadly remains one of the most capital intensive challenges facing government. The country’s rail network, operated by Botswana Railways, has struggled for years with ageing infrastructure, declining freight volumes and underinvestment, limiting its ability to play a meaningful role in supporting trade and logistics.
Government has repeatedly flagged the need for large-scale investment to modernise the rail network and restore its competitiveness, particularly for bulk commodities and regional freight corridors.
At the same time, pressure on the road network has intensified as trucks increasingly substitute for rail freight, accelerating road deterioration and raising maintenance costs for government.
Authorities have acknowledged that reviving rail operations while maintaining and expanding the national road network will require billions of pula in capital injections over the coming years, placing additional strain on already stretched public finances as the State seeks to rebuild critical transport infrastructure.
Authorities believe that rationalising the route network while strengthening maintenance capacity could help improve operational reliability and reduce costs.