The Namibia Airports Company (NAC) has lamented the high barriers of entry to the aviation sector, a development which is limiting the active participation of Namibians in the industry through employment, management and ownership.
“The challenges of the aviation industry is that the barriers to entries are very high in terms of capital required, skills, infrastructure requirements, as well as the need for adherence to international safety and security standards. Our envisioned aviation industry must also be accessible and affordable to many of our citizens. More importantly, majority Namibians must be active participants and beneficiaries in the industry through employment, management and ownership,” NAC Chairperson Leake Hangala said on Thursday.
He said the aim of The Aviation and Connectivity Forum is to chart a new direction for the sector, ensuring a sustainable vision for the Namibian aviation industry.
“Bringing together our best and brightest in aviation and related sectors with the aim of coming up with a national vision that will define the future of our nation’s aviation industry. It is our ultimate hope that this vision will make Namibia a flying nation,” Hangala said.
“It is given that for any nation to succeed in this sector, there must be collaborative efforts from all role players including Government, private sector and international partners.”
Minister of Works and Transport John Mutorwa called for a look at how airfaires could be lowered through the introduction of new routes.
“This Forum too, should be able to address the connectivity issues around the country and serve as the introduction of other domestic and international routes in the future, which will possibly lower the fares, as well as increase the capacity and size of aircrafts,” he said, adding that the forum will focus on how Namibia can re-emerge from the recent COVID-19 pandemic with a resilient and sustainable aviation industry.
Chairperson of the Steering Committee for the gathering Bisey /Uirab said the Namibian aviation industry, together with all its ancillary sectors and industries within its ecosystem, has been in dire need for a resuscitation strategy as well as to be included as a central role player in the wider national and regional aspirations.
“It goes without saying that the aviation industry has been a catalyst for economic activity and crucial for the growth of the economy. The past few years have been punctuated by a series of unfortunate world events, not least of which was the COVID-19 pandemic, and the descendance into recession of the world economy. Such turbulent times the whole world have experienced provide us with a rare opportunity to sit back, rethink and reimagine the way we view the world around us. In the transport, logistics, and travel industries, having been some of the worst hit by the effects of the pandemic, this time presents a new dawn, a time to start over, build again, and emerge more resilient than ever before,” she said.
The purpose of the forum is to create a platform where key industry players and stakeholders will share, tackle, rethink and put into motion ideas on the trajectory that the aviation industry and its related ecosystems will take over the next few years.
It further seeks to cement the industry’s role as key to Namibia’s economic recovery and growth, as well as driving the revival of the aviation and other ancillary industries such as tourism after the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.
