Air Botswana still loss-making despite turnaround efforts
Mpho Mokwape | Wednesday March 25, 2026 06:00
Responding to a question from Maun North Member of Parliament Dumelan Saleshando, the Minister of Transport, Noah Salakae, confirmed that the national airline was still operating at a loss at that time, but had since moved to implement urgent measures aimed at improving its financial position.
“Air Botswana had not achieved profitability by the end of December 2025,” the minister said.
He explained that the airline had identified key causes of its weak performance and had adopted a short-term strategy focused on increasing revenue whilst cutting operational costs.
Salakae explained that a major step taken was the reduction of unprofitable routes, pointing out that from August 2025, the airline suspended several regional routes that were not covering their direct operating cost,s and the routes included the Gaborone–Durban, Gaborone–Windhoek, and Maun–Windhoek routes.
He said the move resulted in savings of about P44 million between August and December 2025.
The minister said low passenger numbers were a major contributor to the airline’s poor revenue performance. He attributed this to declining market share, growing competition and reduced public confidence in the airline.
“The root cause of this is unreliable operations. Operational challenges were largely linked to limited aircraft availability and a shortage of qualified crew. To address these issues, the airline has begun implementing corrective measures,' he said.
The minister further highlighted that one of the key developments was the completion of mandatory maintenance, known as a C-check, on one of its ATR72-600 aircraft earlier this month, which has increased the number of operational aircraft to three, whilst the airline continues to run a schedule based on two aircraft.
“The availability of a spare aircraft has created redundancy and strengthened reliability,” the minister said.
In addition, he said efforts are underway to bring two previously grounded ERJ145 aircraft back into service and that the process includes registration, certification and repatriation from Namibia.
Salakae said the first of these aircraft is expected to arrive in Botswana in April 2026 and that the airline is also working to resolve its crew shortages.
'A re-qualification programme is currently being implemented to ensure there are standby crew members available for all aircraft types by the end of April. At the same time, crew deployment is being adjusted to match current operational needs,' he said.
To boost revenue, Air Botswana has reportedly introduced a tactical sales strategy, and this includes incentive programmes targeting travel agents, tour operators and private companies.
The minister said the airline is also reviewing its partnerships with other airlines to improve connectivity and passenger experience, and that efforts were being made to strengthen interline and codeshare agreements so that passengers can travel more easily without having to collect baggage and recheck in at connecting airports, including Johannesburg.
However, he said external factors may affect the airline’s recovery plan,s saying the ongoing conflict in the Middle East has disrupted access to crew training facilities in the United Arab Emirates, whilst rising fuel prices in South Africa are increasing operating costs.
These challenges, the minister said, could have an impact on ticket prices and the pace of the airline’s recovery.
Despite this, he maintained that the measures being implemented are aimed at stabilising operations and setting the airline on a path towards profitability.