CAAB courting mystery European airliner
A European airliner will soon fly into Botswana.
This was revealed by the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr. Bao Mosinyi in a recent engagement with journalists in Francistown.
The last ‘bird from the west’ to soar over Botswana’s skies was British Airways, which cancelled flights to Bots in 1999.
Dr. Bao said the exciting development is part of the preliminary results of the Routes World Conference they attended in Bahrain on 6th-8th October.
The Botswana Air Access delegation comprising Botswana Tourism Organisation (BTO), Botswana Investment and Trade Centre (BITC), Business Botswana, Travel Agent’s Association of Botswana (TAABOT), and the Hospitality and Tourism Association of Botswana (HATAB) met with 10 high-potential airline targets, to assess their appetite for new routes into Botswana.
Botswana Air Access, was established in August 2024 and is spearheaded CAAB, as a collaborative air service development initiative whose mandate is to increase international air connectivity to the country.
Addressing the media at Thapama Hotel last Wednesday, Mosinyi said they’ve changed tact in the way they approach their targeted airlines.
He explained they’ve built specific business cases for individual airlines to inform them about Botswana’s rising potential, leveraging passenger data, tourism statistics, and economic outputs.
“When you go out to sell, you’re not only selling the airline. You’re selling the country as a tourism destination, and that’s why we’re working with BTO, HATAB, and BITC,” he said.
However, Mosinyi added he’s however not in a position to reveal the airliner that has shown keen interest to fly to Botswana.
“Usually it’s the airliner that has to break the news, but I can assure you a European airliner will soon land in Botswana,” maintained Mosinyi.
The CAAB CEO said increasing traffic in Botswana’s airspace is critical to grow the country’s tourism potential, adding opening new routes will reduce costs for travellers and could also prove the catalyst to spur local airliner, Air Botswana into action.
“As the traffic increases Air Botswana will be forced to compete, or come up with other alternative ways to stay afloat. If you can’t compete then you should not be flying. Once there’s competition, prices will go down. AB can still compete in the region as a connect airline, just as Airlink is doing, or they may have to introduce more local routes like Gaborone-Gantsi and Palapye,” he said.
“The national airline’s task is to develop routes, and then let private airlines take over. Eventually national airlines can go out of business,” continued Mosinyi.
The CEO said their Strategic Intent for 2029 is to increase revenue to P500 million, with a 15 percent increase annually.
“You make money through traffic. Busier airports like Maun make more money, that is why we’ve decided to end the monopoly and open up our airspace to the world,” Dr. Mosinyi mentioned.
The CEO further said after revenue dropped to a record low of P62 million in 2022 after Covid, there has been a steady recovery, with P105 million in 2023 and P265 million in 2024 already.
He disclosed that pre-Covid, roughly 840, 000 passengers flew into Botswana every year; today the number is slightly lower at 740, 000.
