German airline Condor’s winter timetable includes Windhoek as a new long-haul destination and this is expected to give Air Namibia tough competition on its Windhoek-Frankfurt route.
The airline’s first-ever flights to Windhoek will start in November this year, flying from Frankfurt twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays.
The introduction of Condor flights to Namibia comes a couple of years after the withdrawal of Air Berlin, which operated flights to Namibia from Düsseldorf, Berlin and Munich and did not compete with Air Namibia on its Frankfurt route.
Observers have warned that the decision to allow direct competition for Air Namibia will bring tough times to the airline as Condor, which is Lufthansa’s low cost airlines’ subsidiary, will also fly the same route - for seemingly lower fares.
“It is the responsibility of the German government to tell the management of its German airlines that goodwill between the two countries can be damaged by ‘unfair business practices’ such as these. This is not an example of developing goodwill and promoting mutual interest between Germany and Namibia,” said former chief executive officer for Air Namibia, Andreas Guibeb.
Despite aversions towards the operation of Condor, Paulus Nakawa, Air Namibia’s spokesperson, said the airline welcomes competition as it boosts and strengthens the airline.
“We will not be affected financially; we welcome this competition as it will put Namibia on the map again, as a tourism destination, especially due its politically stable atmosphere,” said Nakawa.
Maureen Posthuma, Area Manager Europe for the Namibia Tourism board, said: “Including Windhoek as a destination in the Condor timetable is not just having a positive effect on the further development of Namibia as a tourism product, (but) it is also also a sign of growing interest among Germans in Namibia as a travel destination.”
Air Namibia will have to pull up its socks, if it intends to compete with Condor’s low-cost fares from November onwards as the latter offers an all-inclusive one-way flight from Frankfurt to Windhoek for €379,99 (N$5 647,95) in Economy Class, €549,99 (N$8 174,67) in Premium Economy Class and €1 249,99 (N$18 578,80) in Business Class.
The airline’s first-ever flights to Windhoek will start in November this year, flying from Frankfurt twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays.
The introduction of Condor flights to Namibia comes a couple of years after the withdrawal of Air Berlin, which operated flights to Namibia from Düsseldorf, Berlin and Munich and did not compete with Air Namibia on its Frankfurt route.
Observers have warned that the decision to allow direct competition for Air Namibia will bring tough times to the airline as Condor, which is Lufthansa’s low cost airlines’ subsidiary, will also fly the same route - for seemingly lower fares.
“It is the responsibility of the German government to tell the management of its German airlines that goodwill between the two countries can be damaged by ‘unfair business practices’ such as these. This is not an example of developing goodwill and promoting mutual interest between Germany and Namibia,” said former chief executive officer for Air Namibia, Andreas Guibeb.
Despite aversions towards the operation of Condor, Paulus Nakawa, Air Namibia’s spokesperson, said the airline welcomes competition as it boosts and strengthens the airline.
“We will not be affected financially; we welcome this competition as it will put Namibia on the map again, as a tourism destination, especially due its politically stable atmosphere,” said Nakawa.
Maureen Posthuma, Area Manager Europe for the Namibia Tourism board, said: “Including Windhoek as a destination in the Condor timetable is not just having a positive effect on the further development of Namibia as a tourism product, (but) it is also also a sign of growing interest among Germans in Namibia as a travel destination.”
Air Namibia will have to pull up its socks, if it intends to compete with Condor’s low-cost fares from November onwards as the latter offers an all-inclusive one-way flight from Frankfurt to Windhoek for €379,99 (N$5 647,95) in Economy Class, €549,99 (N$8 174,67) in Premium Economy Class and €1 249,99 (N$18 578,80) in Business Class.
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