Former Air Botswana captain denies liability over cancelled Jo’burg flight

He filed a memorandum of appearance to defend the lawsuit in the High Court, rejecting the state-owned airline's claim that he is liable for P249, 355.39 in damages allegedly arising from his refusal to operate a flight on June 21, 2026.

The legal dispute reportedly stems from the captain's departure from the airline after submitting his resignation letter. Air Botswana alleges that his failure to operate what it describes as his final rostered Johannesburg flight resulted in the cancellation of services, forcing the airline to rebook passengers, pay for hotel accommodation and absorb lost ticket revenue. According to court papers filed by the airline, Gaborakanelwe resigned on May 11 and gave the required one month's notice, with his employment expected to end on June 14. The airline claims it later asked him to extend his notice period by one week because of a shortage of flight crew and says he agreed to remain until June 21.