Air Botswana Receives Government Support

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Air Botswana Receives Government Support
Air Botswana Receives Government Support

Africa-Press – Botswana. Air Botswana has received government support amounting to over P800 million since the 2019/20 financial year, despite the airline not being covered under the government’s recurrent budget.

Answering a question in Parliament on Friday on behalf of the Minister of Transport and Infrastructure, the Minister of Communications and Innovation Mr David Tshere clarified that Air Botswana was mandated to operate on a commercially sustainable basis under the Air Botswana Act.

He however said government continued to support the airline through development funding and targeted financial interventions. Breaking down government support to Air Botswana, he said in 2019/20, P17 million was given for the refleeting programme following acquisition of one Embraer E170 and two ATR72-600 aircraft.

He added that in 2020/21, P116 million was given for COVID-19 relief purposes, as well as P76.2 million in 2021/22, still for COVID-19 relief. Mr Tshere pointed out that in 2022/23, Air Botswana was given P58 million for accumulated debt and P33 million for aircraft maintenance.

In 2023/24, he said P86.3 million was given for major aircraft maintenance, P86.6 million for operational shortfall and engine maintenance, including P149.95 million for refleeting. He further said in 2024/25, P195.53 million was for refleeting, P37.17 million for engine overhaul and P20.41 million to cover November 2024 and February 2025 salaries.

Furthermore, he said in 2025/26, P10 million was given for March 2025 salaries and another P13.31 million for refleeting. Minister Tshere confirmed that three aircraft were acquired in 2024, all of which were pre-owned. He mentioned one Embraer E175 jet (88 seats, aged 14 years) that cost US$9.5 million and two Embraer ERJ145 jets (50 seats, aged 15 and 16 years) at US$4.65 million and US$4.35 million respectively.

The minister said those additions brought the airline’s total fleet to six aircraft, including two new ATR72-600s bought in 2018, and one pre-owned Embraer E170 jet, also acquired in 2018. Minister Tshere reported that five of the six aircraft were currently operational.

He mentioned that the Embraer E170 was grounded, pending a mandatory 15 000 flight hour maintenance check, which required P57.2 million, money the airline currently does not have. The minister also acknowledged that Air Botswana continued to face serious financial constraints, driven by an ongoing economic slump and a sharp decline in passenger numbers. He said that was largely worsened by reduced travel by government, parastatals and the private sector, all tightening budgets under austerity measures.

The minister was responding to a question from Chobe MP, Mr Simasiku Mapulanga who had asked the minister to state how much (budget) has been allocated to Air Botswana from 2019 to 2024. Mr Mapulanga further wanted to know how many airplanes were bought by Air Botswana during the same period and the total cost and whether the planes were bought as new. Furthermore, he wanted to know how many were in operation and the challenges associated with the planes not being in operation.

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