South Africa signs the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) with Namibia

South Africa signs the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) with Namibia

October 14, 2016 • Air, Transport

Pretoria – The Minister of Transport, Ms Dipuo Peters, yesterday, 13th October 2016, signed the Bilateral Air Service Agreement (BASA) with the her counterpart, Minister Alpheus G !Naruseb, Minister of Works and Transport from Namibia.

The Air Service agreement is a liberal arrangement allowing designated airlines from South Africa and Namibia to operate unlimited number of flights per week per side for passenger services, unlimited overnight express cargo with an aircraft weight that does not exceed 5700 kg and ad-hoc cargo services.

The designated airlines for South Africa includes the South African Airways, South African Express, South African Airlink, Comair and Fly Blue Crane. The South African Airways operate 20 flights per week on the Johannesburg – Windhoek route, making it three flights per day.

The South African Express operate nine (9) flights per week on the Johannesburg – Walvis Bay route and six (6) flights per week on the Cape Town – Walvis Bay route. The South African Airlink operate eleven (11) flights per week on the Cape Town – Windhoek route. Comair operate seven (7) flights on the Johannesburg – Windhoek route.

The designated airlines for Namibia are Air Namibia, Nomad Aviation and Westair Aviation. Air Namibia operates twenty-one (21) flights per week on the Windhoek – Johannesburg route, fourteen (14) flights on the Windhoek – Cape Town route and seven (7) flights per week on the Walvis Bay – Cape Town route.

“Relations between South Africa and Namibia dates back since Namibia’s independence in 1990 and are the product of our history, of our geographical continuity, of our economic interdependence and integration, of our culture and of our politics,” Minister Peters said.

Our formal diplomatic relations were established soon after President Nelson Mandela became the first democratic South African President, opening what was, and remains – especially from an economic point of view – the our most crucial diplomatic mission.

“South Africa bilateral relationship with Namibia is strategic for both our countries from a fiscal and import/export perspective and the economic nature of our relationship is inter-dependence, which is the reason that as South Africa we value our relations,” alluded Minister Peters.

Minister Peters indicated that it is South Africa’s position that Africa needs to consolidate its own air transport market and industry in order to remain relevant and the individual African members states need to support the Regional Economic Communities’ initiatives and that aviation in South Africa and Namibia has an extremely important role to play in achieving our sustainable growth and development for the tourism industry and economy at large.

South Africa, has since July 2006, adopted a five-year Airlift Strategy which sets out to enhance the air transport sector’s contribution to sustainable growth and development.

“The implementation of the Airlift Strategy supports our government’s aim to increase the volume of international air traffic capacity to and from South Africa as well as creation of capacity ahead of demand. In particular, the strategy recognizes the adoption and Implementation of the key principles of Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) continentally and the regulation of the International markets through the Bilateral Air Services systems with managed liberalization,” Minister Peters said.

South Africa and the Namibian economy remains closely linked to each other. Namibia imports R35.4 billion worth of goods from South Africa, accounting for 66% of the country’s exports, while 30% of Namibia’s exports, valued at R8.3 billion, were destined for the South African market. South Africa holds approximately 80% of investments in key sectors of Namibia’s economy, including mining, retail, banking and insurance.

Minister Peters concluded by encouraging African States to consolidate their Aviation Market and Industry in order to enhance their competiveness. Furthermore, the Minister urged Namibia to strengthen the Regional Economic Commissions in the drive to implement the Yamoussoukro Decision and to be a signatory of the African Union Solemn Commitment to the implementation of the YD.

Issued by:

Department of Transport
159 Forum Building
Pretoria
0001
Enquiries: Ishmael Mnisi 072 566 0827