Namibia: Three foreign airlines eying stakes in national carrier

Three foreign airlines, among which German Lufthansa, are interested in acquiring equities in Air Namibia, The Namibian reports.

Namibia’s public enterprises minister Leon Jooste is leading negotiations with Lufthansa, Ethiopian Airlines and South African Airways, the media says.

“Three airlines, namely South African Airways, Ethiopian Airways and Lufthansa indicated an interest to pursue further discussions,” Jooste wrote to Air Namibia’s board chairperson Dee Sauls-Deckenbrock in a letter late last month.

Of the three, Lufthansa appears to be the keenest, The Namibian also notes, though it requested some time to consider the offer by the Namibian government.

The government of the Southern African country would like to open the company to foreign investments in a bid to “optimize potential future growth opportunities for the airline,” the public enterprises minister told Lufthansa chairman and CEO Carsten Spohr.

Operating from its two hubs, Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport and at Windhoek Eros Airport for domestic flights, Air Namibia operates flights to 18 destinations in nine countries in Africa and Europe.