01 Sep 2024

Air Botswana has welcomed the first of its four new aircraft with a water salute at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport on Friday.

The new Embraer E175 named Kalahari has a carrying capacity of 88 passengers, and is expected to improve the fleet of the national airline.  

Speaking during the ceremony, His Excellency  President Dr Mokgweetsi Eric Keabetswe Masisi said it was critical to propel Air Botswana to aim higher and reach further. He noted that the national airline connected people to places of interest and markets for the economic benefit of Botswana and Batswana.  

He observed that the procurement of the aircrafts was testament to government’s commitment to avail, expand and improve transport infrastructure and facilities. 

President Masisi commended the Ministry of Transport and Public Works as well as the board of management and Air Botswana for the acquisition. 

He said it was a significant milestone in the country’s aviation history, and that it signified growth in the efficiency and reliability of the aviation and transport sector.  

“The aviation industry catalyses our Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions strategy,” he said, adding that it aimed to drive economic transformation, foster economic diversification and to grow the tourism sector. 

President Masisi also said the aircraft would close the transportation gap for those who frequently travelled between Francistown, Nata, Makgadikgadi, Gweta, Maun, Okavango and Kasane as well as tourists traversing borders. 

He said opportunities were limitless for other air transport services and that they should be aligned with the objective of transforming the country into a significant player in the aviation value chain as well as creating a transport and logistics hub. 

He urged all industry players to make it easier to travel within Botswana for both business and leisure.

President Masisi also noted that Botswana was party to multilateral agreements such as the SADC Protocol on Transport, Communications and Meteorology, the Yamoussoukro Declaration and the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) protocol.

He added that the implementation of the agreements would provide opportunities for Air Botswana and the African airline industry to take advantage of regional integration and to further expand operations.  

The President said government would continue to negotiate and sign bilateral air service agreements with other countries to liberalise commercial and civil aviation services between Botswana and those countries. 

Furthermore, he said the African Continental Free Trade Area presented another opportunity for Botswana to advance trade links that could deepen economic integration. 

He urged the airline and Batswana to position themselves to benefit from the agreement, noting that the aim was to create a single continental market and to eliminate trade barriers that hindered intra-Africa trade.  

President Masisi also urged Air Botswana and the local aviation industry to serve the local and international markets.

He said they would join forces with global partners to create symbiotic opportunities that unleashed Botswana’s economic potential. Ends