Shortage of pilots threatens tourism industry

Namibia faces a critical shortage of pilots and flight instructors, threatening the aviation industry and tourism as a whole.

This is according to a white paper prepared by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association of Namibia (Aopa), which is requesting urgent government intervention to alleviate the situation.

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

There are currently only 202 Namibian commercial pilot licence (CPL) holders. According to a survey conducted by Aopa, the country requires an additional 60 commercial pilots and 14 additional flight instructors.

This shortfall has led to fewer commercial pilots being trained in Namibia. In turn, the shortfall of pilots has led aircraft carriers to ground as much as 45% of their fleet.

Aviation underpins the tourism sector, Aopa claims. Given the importance of tourism to the Namibian economy, the shortage of pilots should be a critical concern for the country, the organisation says.

“Scheduled charter and commercial operations connect remote lodges, communities and conservation areas to urban centres and international gateways,” the report says.

The solution proposed by the association is to allow foreign pilots to operate in Namibia.

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

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