Namibia plans to become regional aviation hub

Thalefang Charles | Wednesday February 18, 2015 15:48

 

NAC board chairperson, Ndeuhala Katonyala said this at the unveiling of 11 state-of-the-art fire fighting trucks at Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA) last week Thursday.

NAC is smarting from the embarrassment that befell the state-owned company in July 2014 when the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) downgraded HKIA, the country’s biggest airport, from Category Nine to Category Five due to non-compliance with aviation safety requirements.

During last year’s 15 days ban following the ICAO audit, the airport was barred to land big aircrafts like Air Bus A330.

An Air Namibia A330-200 Airbus flying from Frankfurt, Germany had to be diverted and landed at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SSKIA) in Gaborone after the HKIA was downgraded.

NAC has acquired 11 fire trucks at the value of over N$89million (P75m) from a South African company, Marce.

“The trucks would be distributed across all our airports to enhance and to ensure compliance in respect of the required firefighting strength,” Katonyala told the media at the launch. NAC owns and manages eight airports in Namibia.

Katonyala said the company acquired six Marce Rhino 6X6 of which two will be stationed at HKIA, three at Walvis Bay Airport and one at Eros Airport in the city centre.  She further said the rest of the five Marce Rhino 4X4 will be stationed at Ondangwa, Rundu, Katima Mulilo, Luderitz and Keetmanshoop airports.

The acting chief executive officer of NAC Tamer El-Kallawi announced NAC’s N$1.3 billion capital expenditure that is part of the 2014-2017 Strategic plan.

El-Kallawi also highlighted ambitious development plans and upgrades for their respective airports in the Turnaround Plan that he said centres around the theme of safety and security.

He said, “The NAC has promulgated a turnaround strategy that seeks to reposition the company to be a world class service provider in airport operations.”