Airbus-A330-200

Brand New Airbus A330-200.

THE COMPETITIVE EGDE OF AIR NAMIBIA’S
BRAND NEW AIRBUS A330-200 AIRCRAFT 

Entry into service of the brand new Airbus A330-200s, to replace the aged Airbus A340-300, will reduce costs and boost revenue, while providing flexibility, a superior and improved cabin product for Air Namibia.

The airline industry is highly competitive and is constantly exposed to many risks; among them fuel price volatility, a rigorous regulated environment and safety compliance aspects. Passenger travel preferences and buying decisions have evolved over time to such an extent that today’s traveller has become very informed and sophisticated. These factors have made fleet decisions become crucial for any airline that aspires to improve financial performance, operational efficiency and compliance with safety and other regulatory requirements.

New Airbus A330-200

“Air Namibia believes that the decision to acquire two brand new Airbus A330-200s to replace the aged Airbus A340-300s, which entered its fleet 7 years ago in year 2006, is a step in that direction. This decision fits well in efforts to continually strive to improve operational efficiency, aligning the services of the airline to the needs of the market, match and even exceed competitor offerings so as to compete effectively, and to achieving acceptable financial performance within the resources that are available to it and striving towards at all times.”

The delivery of the new aircraft represents the last phase of the airline’s re-fleeting programme contained in its business plan adopted in July, 2011. Earlier re-fleeting initiatives included phasing out of the Beechcraft B1900 aircraft and replacing them with Embraer ERJ 135 Regional Jets in 2011, as well as phasing out of the aged Boeing B737 fleet and replacing them with new Airbus A319-100s.

“The new Airbus A330-200s will break the long history of Air Namibia operating quad powered aircraft (four engines) with twin-powered aircraft on its long haul operations between Namibia and Europe. These planes come with improved operating technologies which offer way much better savings on operating costs,” says Nakawa.

“In a few weeks’ time, gone will be the days when Air Namibia was seen as an operator of old aircraft retired by other airlines, which placed us as an underdog in the market when compared to our much bigger and highly resourced competitors,” he adds.

Even though older aircraft might have lower lease rates, total operating costs are higher when one takes into account the effect of fuel burn, maintenance costs, dispatch reliability and lost revenue from passengers selecting a competitor airline due to its newer cabin and inflight entertainment plus other amenities. Fleet selection affects both revenue and cost.

Another important consideration which went into the selection of the Airbus A330-200 as opposed to other aircraft options available is the “right sized” cabin configuration element, in terms of the number of seats in relation to Air Namibia’s “demand forecasting” outcomes. The new planes come with 30 business class seats and 214 economy class seats, giving a total of 244 seats. The soon to be phased out Airbus A340-300s have 278 seats in total, comprising 32 Business and 246 Economy Class. The current average passenger load per year on the Windhoek-Frankfurt route is 220 passengers, meaning that full value of the cost per seat is not being realised as some seats go unoccupied.

Larger aircraft have limited flexibility in the event that Air Namibia would like to deploy its long-haul aircraft on new markets and medium-range routes. While larger aircraft have a lower cost per seat, all the seats must be occupied for this low cost benefit to be realised. The A330-200s are more flexible aircraft to use on new routes/markets, while also offering modern and mature aviation technology. Being brand new, the aircraft are also a big boost to Air Namibia brand image and passenger confidence. The A340-300s will be over 25 years old by the time their lease arrangement expires in October.

The Airbus A330-200 offers much lower operating cost compared to the A340-300, given its Lower Maximum Take Off Weight of 230,000 kg compared to 257,000 kg of the A340-300, meaning lower landing fees, navigation charges, lower fuel burn, etc. The A330 offers the lowest fuel burn and the lowest maintenance costs of all options – given its size and the fact that it comes with two engines to maintain instead of four engines, and two engines consuming fuel on the A330 compared to four engines consume fuel on the A340s.

Passenger rating of the two aircrafts published on the Airbus website shows that 67% favour the A330-200 compared to a 33% preference for the A340-300.

Air Namibia is due to take delivery of the first of the two brand new Airbus A330-200 aircraft before the end of September 2013. The second A330-200 is expected to enter the national air carrier’s fleet in November 2013. The two aircraft are being leased from Intrepid Aviation for a period of 12 years.

Issued by: 

Paulus Homateni Nakawa
Head: Corporate Communications
Tel.: +264 61 299 6298/6216/6215
E-Mail: [email protected]

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Air Namibia and Kenya Airways

Kenya Airways signs code-share agreement with Air Namibia

NAIROBI/ WINDHOEK: July 30, 2013

Kenya Airways has boosted its footprint within the Southern Africa region with the signing of a new code-share agreement with Air Namibia, the national carrier of Namibia.

The deal paves way for daily connections between the airlines’ Nairobi and Windhoek hubs through Johannesburg in South Africa and Lusaka in Zambia.

Under the code-share agreement, Kenya Airways will place its ‘KQ’ code on Air Namibia flights from Johannesburg and Lusaka to Windhoek. In turn, Air Namibia will place its ‘SW’ code on Kenya Airways flights from Lusaka and Johannesburg to Nairobi.

Kenya Airways and Air Namibia

Kenya Airways Group Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Dr Titus Naikuni and the Air Namibia Managing Director Ms. Theo M. Namases hailed this new partnership as a huge boost to improving connectivity within Africa.

“We are excited about this partnership. By facilitating convenient travel for our passengers, this code-share agreement will enable us to make a contribution towards spurring sustainable development in Africa,” Dr Naikuni said.

This code-share agreement with Air Namibia brings the number of code-share arrangements that Kenya Airways has signed with other international carriers to 20.

Ms Namases, said: “The industry we operate in is highly competitive and dynamic. Only smart and efficient airlines will survive. Gone are the days of – I can do it alone. As African airlines we need to realize that smart partnerships are the way forward, and the key to sustainability and survival”.

Namibia is one of the most stable democracies and economies in Africa with a GDP per capita of USD 7800. It currently benefits from large investment projects in its mining industry, a key driver in the country’s economy.

The new code-share services between Air Namibia and Kenya Airways went on sale on the June 20, 2013. 

Routing: Nairobi to Windhoek vv. via Lusaka  or  Nairobi to Windhoek vv. Via Johannesburg. 

About Kenya Airways

Founded in 1977, Kenya Airways is a member of the SkyTeam Alliance and a leading African airline. The pride of Africa fly’s to 59 destinations worldwide, 47 of which are in Africa carrying over three million passengers annually. 

Kenya Airways has a modern fleet of 42 aircraft. With an order of 31 aircrafts over the next 3 years of which 9 are 787 Dreamliners, KQ is one of the fastest growing carriers in the African continent. 

Kenya Airways takes pride for being in the fore front of connecting Africa to the world and the World to Africa through its hub at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. 

For more information, please visit: www.kenya-airways.com