Please address Maun-Johannesburg air route

Editor | Friday November 12, 2010 00:00

Both Air Botswana and South African Airways seem unable to agree on how to exploit this highly lucrative route.  A significant number of external tourists come into the country using this route.  Many come from Europe, Asia and North America.

Since last year, South African Airways, together with Air Botswana, had been plying this route, but the former were stopped when the Department of Civil Aviation issued a directive that the route is for exclusive use by Air Botswana. 

Apparently, there were problems with the South Africans, who, in retaliation, showed no keenness in allowing Air Botswana to fly out or into their territory directly from Maun. This led to an impasse.  We were hopeful when President Ian Khama paid a state visit to South Africa where high level bi-lateral talks were held between him and his South African counterpart, Jacob Zuma that this problem would be resolved. Naturally, this thorny issue cropped up at the high level discussions and there was a communiqu to the effect that the issue will be dispensed with.

After the Khama visit, even Air Botswana stopped flying directly from Johannesburg to Maun so that the deadlock could be resolved.  This is, of course, an inconvenience to the tourists and all who use this route.

There is a strong likelihood that the potential passengers could be discouraged by the stop over in Gaborone.

There are some who feel that the South Africans are busybodies for them to want to lord over us.  Of course, the attraction is the swamps that are in Botswana and one would have hoped that South African Airways would have naturally deferred to Air Botswana to ply the route.

Such views are, of course, simplistic and devoid of the understanding in the 'dog-eat-dog' morality that holds sway in business.  In business, what matters is growth and expansion other than emotional considerations such as fairness and being neighbourly.

Even when we argue that 'this is our turf' and that Air Botswana should be given the freedom to exclusively ply this route, we are not even sure whether the national carrier has the capacity to service this route.

Currently, the airline is embroiled in serious managerial and management issues that will without doubt compromise its efficiency. There has been concern that Air Botswana's fleet is obsolete and that it urgently needs to re-fleet. There seems to be inertia on that score.

When we open ourselves up to more routes we should be certain that we can maintain the highest standards of safety and timeliness. At this rate, we are not even sure whether we can meet these minimum standards.

We understand that Air Botswana has pulled itself out of IATA - the air safety and customer service standard-bearer.  Why did the airline pull out and how can the airline assure its passengers that it maintains standards when it is not a member of a reputable industry standard enforcer?  As we grapple with the Maun-Johannesburg impasse, we hope the Air Botswana management and government will wake up and smell the coffee.  Larger issues of safety, efficiency and re-fleeting ought to be addressed.

                                                       Today's thought'I am not a good flyer as it is, and I wasn't crazy about having to take a smaller/unknown airline that only uses prop-type planes.'                                                   - A tourist talking about Air Botswana