Aviation industry wants foreign pilots

Namibia’s aircraft operators say restrictive visa and work permit processes are limiting the availability of foreign pilots, with knock-on effects for aviation safety, tourism access, and industry growth.

A recent white paper prepared by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Namibia notes that the government’s visa system is causing distress in the aviation industry.

According to the paper, the Namibian pool of pilots is exhausted, leading aircraft operators to recruit internationally.

“The local Namibian commercial pilot population is wholly unable to meet current operational demand, let alone projected future growth,” the association says.

It says extensive recruitment efforts within Namibia have not yielded results.

“Of 2 172 applications received over the past two years, only 47 were from Namibian nationals – just 2% of the total applicant pool.

“This is not a recruitment failure. This is a structural absence of supply,” the report notes.

Industry sources call for the employment of foreign pilots and flight instructors to ensure the training of Namibian pilots.

They say this will also allow the continued employment of Namibians engaged in administrative and support services.

The solution, they argue, is clear, available, and legally achievable within existing frameworks.

“The home affairs ministry must expedite the granting of work permits to qualified foreign commercial pilots and flight instructors,” the association notes.

However, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and Security is said to have rejected the visas of foreign pilots or delayed them for long periods, leading applicants to eventually find work elsewhere.

“These are not isolated incidents,” the association says. “They represent a pattern of administrative dysfunction that is having a direct, measurable impact on flight safety, commercial viability, and the employment of Namibian nationals across the industry.”

Tourism industry operators say the shortage of pilots threatens the industry, particularly high-end and high-value tourism.

“Inside the country, given our vast landscape and remote areas where some of the most pristine tourism attractions are located, air access to those areas is an important mode of transport,” Hospitality Association of Namibia chief executive Gitta Paetzold says.

This is of particular importance for the high-end tourism market, which is becoming more important year on year, she adds.

Paetzold says tourism operators have continuously raised concerns about work permits for pilots.

“Companies that have served this market for a while, like Wilderness, And Beyond, Ultimate Safaris and Natural Selection can attest to the difficulty of getting qualified pilots to meet the demand,” Paetzold adds.

The Ministry of Environment and Tourism notes that no formal complaints have been received from tourism operators.

However, ministry spokesperson Vilho Hangula says he is aware of concerns raised by industry players.

He says although the ministry does not collect data quantifying the exact portion of tourism that relies on charter planes, the ministry recognises the importance of aviation to the sector.

“Namibia’s high-end and nature-based segment of the tourism sector significantly depends on charter aviation.

It is only a small portion of tourists who make use of charter flights, but this segment is central to Namibia’s premium tourism offering,” Hangula adds.

The home affairs ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

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