Politics cited in Namibia's ban on scheduled Eros flights

THE TWO South African airlines - SA Express and SA Airlink - which have been told they will have to stop flying scheduled services from Eros Airport at Namibia's capital of Windhoek, are trying to have the decision reversed according to information released to FTW by Karin Murray, marketing manager of SA Airlink. Namibia's Transport Minister, Moses Amweelo, has cited "safety and environmental hazards" as being the reason for the decision, but the move is being seen as a means of protecting the country's embattled flag carrier, Air Namibia. "We were taken by surprise by this cabinet decision," said Murray, "and there's definitely a political element in it." The two SA carriers carry mainly business traffic on the route, and are in direct opposition to Air Namibia. But they have now been told that they must discontinue flights from Eros Airport to both Johannesburg and Cape Town. The alternative, said Murray, is Hosea Kutako International Airport about 40 kilometres outside Windhoek, and the airport used by Air Namibia. "But this is absolutely contradictory to what we have been told by passengers," she added, "all of whom express a preference for Eros, which is only three kilometres from the city." The "safety" standards reasoning for the proposed government ban at Eros is also disputed by the SA airlines. "We question that, when they still let foreign dignitaries and VIPs use this airport, but want to stop the scheduled flights," said Murray. "Are we to conclude that their lives are worth less than our passengers'?" She also suggested that the authorities would have been unlikely to approve Eros when they originally granted the airlines flying rights if they had doubted the safety at the airport. "Also our own assessment of the airport showed that it was ideal for our needs," Murray said. "Although the large 50-seat aircraft used by SA Express has a minor restriction on its full load because of the short runway, it's perfect for our ERJ 500 aircraft. "And it definitely doesn't contravene any of the safety standards laid down by us as airlines." No date has yet been set for the ban, Murray told FTW, but m.d. Roger Foster is currently in dialogue with the Namibian authorities in an attempt to have the decision reversed.