The German airline Lufthansa on Thursday lifted the four-month long cargo embargo on Hosea Kutako International Airport.
In a communication to cargo clients, Lufthansa’s key accounts manager, Loretta Hall, said that the airline’s Windhoek station will be open for imports.
This will be applicable for flight 4Y132 and 4Y142.
Flight Y138 remains excluded from cargo transport till further notice.
“The first flight is bookable from 12 November with arrival in Windhoek on 13 November,” she said.
The embargo was placed following a ruling by the Supreme Court of Namibia that the ground handling company, Menzie Aviation, should cease operations at Hosea Kutako International Airport.
Namibian-owned Paragon Aviation Services, a subsidiary of Paragon Investment Holdings, took over the ground handling operations from Menzies.
At the time Paragon did not possess the ACC3/RA3 certification necessary for dealing with European-bound exports.
The absence of this certification led to a number of airlines initially having cargo embargos imposed at the airport.
Qatar Airways has not lifted the embargo as they are temporarily pulling out of Namibia due to operational reasons.
Their last passenger services from Namibia will be effected from 23 November.
The airline has been operating three weekly non-stop return flights between Hamad International Airport in Doha and Hosea Kutako International Airport on board a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.
The airline resumed flights between Doha and Windhoek in June last year.
Paragon Investment Holdings owner, Desmond Amunyela, confirmed the expected cargo arrival from Germany.
“Cargo never stopped. We have been handling cargo from all over the world. As we speak, our warehouse is full. Lufthansa is just preferred by the German community in Namibia,” he said.
The Namibia Airport Company (NAC) welcomed the move by Lufthansa.
Company spokesperson, Dan Kamati, said the move is good for the business and the country.
“We commend all the stakeholders involved and reiterate the call for collaboration and cooperation,” he said.
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