Southern African nation Namibia has launched a new project ‘Air Connect Namibia’, to increase international accessibility through the creation of new air routes to foster tourism and trade.

With the objective of promoting tourism and trade, the Namibia Airports Company (NAC) has launched the ‘Air Connect Namibia’ project in a bid to create new international routes at the country’s airports to increase direct air access to the nation.

According to a press statement by NAC, it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with key stakeholders aimed at fostering collaboration towards the expansion of the aviation sector through the launch of the ‘Air Connect Namibia’ project.

Namibia Tourism Board Acting Chief Executive Officer Bonnie Mbidzo says there is a need for Namibia to diversify its tourist arrivals through air connectivity as currently, the country relies heavily on tourist arrivals. “We need to diversify into other markets but in those markets, we don’t have connectivity or airlift to Namibia and this project gives us that platform. Our statistics show that in the Netherlands, Belgium or east Europe, Italy, the figures are there but connectivity to Namibia has been a problem,” Mbidzo says.

“The Air Connect Namibia project aligns perfectly with the NAC’s mission to enhance connectivity to Namibia. By establishing new international routes while retaining existing partnerships, Air Connect Namibia will create a stronger tourism and business environment for Namibia,” says NAC Chief Executive Officer Bisey Uirab.

Uirab adds that the move seeks to improve the country’s overall competitiveness by attracting foreign direct investment and stimulating economic growth.

He says that the aviation sector is a driver of the country’s economic activities and therefore there must be collaboration amongst key stakeholders to define the economic development and ensure that Namibia continues to play a role as the logistics hub in the region.

The project, amongst others, aims to target specific airlines to come to Namibia, to formulate an air connectivity forum and have a broader air service development programme initiated, adds the statement.

Deputy Executive Director of Works and Transport Cedric Limbo says Namibia aims to become the number-one logistics hub in the Southern African Development Community (SADC). He adds that flying in Africa is expensive and to achieve Nambia’s goal, the country needs to consider entering new markets and that the project would fast-track this aim.

“Through agreements Namibia wants to become a logistics harbour for SADC, and this will not happen by chance, only through other initiatives such as this,” says Limbo.