AirNam takes delivery of new Airbus

AIR Namibia will officially receive its long-awaited Airbus A340-300 aircraft today.The aircraft, which has a capacity of 278 passengers, is expected to touch down at Hosea Kutako International Airport this morning with its first passenger load from Gatwick, London.

The plane, which will be on lease from French aviation company Avequis, is one of two that will be leased for seven years to operate the airline’s intercontinental routes. Leasing the two Airbus aircraft forms part of a Cabinet-approved business plan nearly two years ago, which advised using these planes in favour of the Boeing 747-400, which was draining the airline’s coffers.The Boeing 747-400 was sold last year, for cost-cutting reasons.Since then the airline has been leasing two MD 11 aircraft from SwissAir to fly to Frankfurt and London.A second Airbus aircraft is expected to join Air Namibia’s fleet by September 2006.”We hope that the second aircraft comes a lot earlier.It is an important economic consideration for Air Namibia.It will do us wonders,” maintained newly appointed Air Namibia General Manager for Commercial Services, Helois Hoabeb.”Airbus doesn’t only have the right performance for Air Namibia, but also the right economies,” said Airbus marketing analyst Jerome Martin in Windhoek yesterday.Air Namibia is expected to save 50 per cent in costs per seat with the Airbus over the Boeing 747-400 and 15 per cent over the MD 11.The aircraft will be alternated on the Frankfurt and London routes, until the other Airbus 340-300 arrives.Air Namibia officials were tight-lipped yesterday when asked exactly how much it would cost to lease the aircraft, which is around eleven years old.A new aircraft in this range retails for a minimum of US$188 million.Air Namibia does not own any of the aircraft in its fleet.It has been deemed a more viable option to lease aircraft.In a statement issued by Air Namibia yesterday, its Managing Director Kosmas Egumbo labelled the acquisition of the Airbus aircraft as a “significant event in Air Namibia’s existence”.”The A340 will allow us to make considerable operational cost savings, while giving our passengers optimal travel comfort.The aircraft represents to us the ideal solution in times of soaring fuel and energy costs and high expectations of our customers,” said Egumbo.Airbus now enjoys more than 57 per cent of the market share over its major rival Boeing, and is making inroads into the African airline market.It is estimated that every four seconds an Airbus aircraft either takes off or lands somewhere around the world.Leasing the two Airbus aircraft forms part of a Cabinet-approved business plan nearly two years ago, which advised using these planes in favour of the Boeing 747-400, which was draining the airline’s coffers.The Boeing 747-400 was sold last year, for cost-cutting reasons.Since then the airline has been leasing two MD 11 aircraft from SwissAir to fly to Frankfurt and London.A second Airbus aircraft is expected to join Air Namibia’s fleet by September 2006.”We hope that the second aircraft comes a lot earlier.It is an important economic consideration for Air Namibia.It will do us wonders,” maintained newly appointed Air Namibia General Manager for Commercial Services, Helois Hoabeb.”Airbus doesn’t only have the right performance for Air Namibia, but also the right economies,” said Airbus marketing analyst Jerome Martin in Windhoek yesterday.Air Namibia is expected to save 50 per cent in costs per seat with the Airbus over the Boeing 747-400 and 15 per cent over the MD 11.The aircraft will be alternated on the Frankfurt and London routes, until the other Airbus 340-300 arrives.Air Namibia officials were tight-lipped yesterday when asked exactly how much it would cost to lease the aircraft, which is around eleven years old.A new aircraft in this range retails for a minimum of US$188 million.Air Namibia does not own any of the aircraft in its fleet.It has been deemed a more viable option to lease aircraft.In a statement issued by Air Namibia yesterday, its Managing Director Kosmas Egumbo labelled the acquisition of the Airbus aircraft as a “significant event in Air Namibia’s existence”.”The A340 will allow us to make considerable operational cost savings, while giving our passengers optimal travel comfort.The aircraft represents to us the ideal solution in times of soaring fuel and energy costs and high expectations of our customers,” said Egumbo.Airbus now enjoys more than 57 per cent of the market share over its major rival Boeing, and is making inroads into the African airline market.It is estimated that every four seconds an Airbus aircraft either takes off or lands somewhere around the world.