Fly Blue Crane waiting for aircraft

Fly Blue Crane has experienced a delay in the delivery of the aircraft supposed to fly the Cape Town to Windhoek route.The airline announced in April this year that it had received approval from the South African and Namibian authorities to operate flights between the two cities. The inaugural flight from Cape Town to Windhoek took place on 13 July and the return flight on 15 July, but no launch date for scheduled operations has been confirmed.“We are waiting for the confirmation of when additional aircraft will enter our fleet to service the Cape Town to Windhoek route. At this stage all our aircraft are fully utilised on other routes. We trust that in the coming weeks we will be able to announce by when we will start the service,” Fly Blue Crane chief commercial officer Theunis Potgieter yesterday told Namibian Sun. He explained that there was a delay in the delivery of the aircraft that was to operate on this route. Fly Blue Crane is a privately held South African carrier operating scheduled domestic services in South Africa. It launched its inaugural flight in South Africa last September.The airline was started by Siza Mzimela, former CEO of South African Airways (SAA) and SA Express, Potgieter and Jerome Simelane, who are also former SAA executives.It operates a fleet of Embraer Regional Jet 145 (ERJ) aircraft from its base in Johannesburg and currently flies to Bloemfontein, Kimberley and Cape Town.“We have chosen Windhoek as our first regional destination as we believe there is an opportunity for an additional operator to fly between Cape Town and Windhoek. The market continues to grow as tourism and business links between the two countries expand,” Potgieter recently told Namibian Sun. The introductory fare for a return trip between Windhoek and Cape Town is N$3 210, all inclusive.Passengers will be able to make online bookings or book at all local travel agents. The airline is also in the process of appointing a local sales representative.“We look forward to soon service the Cape Town to Windhoek route,” said Potgieter. Meanwhile, Qatar Airways will start flying to Windhoek four times a week from 29 September. There will be flights on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.ELLANIE SMIT

Fly Blue Crane waiting for aircraft

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-20

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Fly Blue Crane waiting for aircraft

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Namibian Sun 2025-06-20

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