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Hosea Kutako International Airport (also known as HKIA) is the main
international airport An international airport is an airport with customs and border control facilities enabling passengers to travel between countries around the world. International airports are usually larger than domestic airports and they must feature longer r ...
of
Namibia Namibia (, ), officially the Republic of Namibia, is a country in Southern Africa. Its western border is the Atlantic Ocean. It shares land borders with Zambia and Angola to the north, Botswana to the east and South Africa to the south and ...
, serving the capital city
Windhoek Windhoek (, , ) is the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in central Namibia in the Khomas Highland plateau area, at around above sea level, almost exactly at the country's geographical centre. The population of Windhoek in 2 ...
. Located well east of the city, , it is Namibia's largest airport with international connections. From its founding in 1965 to the independence of Namibia in 1990, it was named J.G. Strijdom Airport. In 1990 the airport was renamed, in honor of Namibian national hero Hosea Kutako.


History

The airport was opened in 1965 during the era of South African administration, and was then named J.G. Strijdom Airport, after the
Nationalist Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: Th ...
Prime Minister of South Africa The prime minister of South Africa ( af, Eerste Minister van Suid-Afrika) was the head of government in South Africa between 1910 and 1984. History of the office The position of Prime Minister was established in 1910, when the Union of Sout ...
. It was renamed Hosea Kutako International Airport following independence in 1990. Hosea Kutako International Airport was the main hub for Air Namibia. Until recently, the absence of limited, direct international flights to Windhoek has forced passengers to fly via Johannesburg's
OR Tambo International Airport O. R. Tambo International Airport is an international airport situated in Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa. It serves as the primary airport for domestic and international travel to/from South Africa and since 2020, it is Africa's second ...
, or
Cape Town International Airport Cape Town International Airport is the primary international airport serving the city of Cape Town, and is the second-busiest airport in South Africa and fourth-busiest in Africa. Located approximately from the city center, the airport w ...
, resulting in additional transit visa costs, visa processing time taken by respective embassies and longer travel time. There are around 46 direct flights weekly between Hosea Kutako International Airport and O. R. Tambo International Airport. ''Menzies Aviation'', an international company registered in the UK was awarded the ground handling service operator at Hosea Kutako International Airport in November 2013.
Condor Airlines Condor, legally incorporated as ''Condor Flugdienst GmbH'' and stylized as condor, is a German airline established in 1955 with Frankfurt Airport being its main base. Condor offers scheduled flights to leisure destinations and operates, from Ge ...
introduced flights between Frankfurt and Windhoek since November 2014. Since 2016,
Qatar Airways Qatar Airways Company Q.C.S.C. ( ar, القطرية, ''al-Qaṭariya''), operating as Qatar Airways, is the state-owned flag carrier airline of Qatar. Headquartered in the Qatar Airways Tower in Doha, the airline operates a hub-and-spoke ne ...
,
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, legally ''Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij N.V.'' (literal translation: Royal Aviation Company Plc.), is the flag carrier airline of the Netherlands. KLM is headquartered in Amstelveen, with its hub at nearby Ams ...
and
Ethiopian Airlines Ethiopian Airlines (commonly referred to as Ethiopian; am, የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ, translit=Ye-Ītyōṗṗyā āyer menged), formerly ''Ethiopian Air Lines'' (EAL), is the flag carrier of Ethiopia, and is wholly owned by ...
have started flying to Windhoek.
Eurowings Eurowings GmbH is a German low-cost carrier headquartered in Düsseldorf and a wholly owned subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group. Founded in 1996, it serves a network of domestic and European destinations and formerly also operated some long-hau ...
, the low-cost subsidiary of
Lufthansa Deutsche Lufthansa AG (), commonly shortened to Lufthansa, is the flag carrier of Germany. When combined with its subsidiaries, it is the second- largest airline in Europe in terms of passengers carried. Lufthansa is one of the five founding m ...
, commenced a bi-weekly service from Cologne/Bonn in July 2017. However, in a bid to streamline its long haul operation for the 2019-season, the airline has decided to end both the Cologne/Bonn and Munich routes to Windhoek. In recent schedule updates however,
Eurowings Discover Eurowings Discover is a German airline headquartered in Frankfurt. It is owned by the Lufthansa Group and serves leisure destinations around the Mediterranean, North America and the Caribbean from its bases at Frankfurt Airport and Munich Ai ...
introduced daily flights to the Namibian capital since July 2022, as well as daily doubles 3 times weekly including flights to and from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe and Mbombela in South Africa. As of October 2017, around 315 flights depart and land at HKIA weekly. In August 2017 Air Namibia was granted 5th freedom rights to operate cargo and traffic between Windhoek,
Lagos Lagos ( Nigerian English: ; ) is the largest city in Nigeria and the second most populous city in Africa, with a population of 15.4 million as of 2015 within the city proper. Lagos was the national capital of Nigeria until December 1991 f ...
, Nigeria and
Accra Accra (; tw, Nkran; dag, Ankara; gaa, Ga or ''Gaga'') is the capital and largest city of Ghana, located on the southern coast at the Gulf of Guinea, which is part of the Atlantic Ocean. As of 2021 census, the Accra Metropolitan District, ...
, Ghana. These destinations were cancelled by the airline in May, 2019. Westair Aviation has commenced scheduled flights April 1, 2018 from Windhoek-Eros. In March 2018,
Ethiopian Airlines Ethiopian Airlines (commonly referred to as Ethiopian; am, የኢትዮጵያ አየር መንገድ, translit=Ye-Ītyōṗṗyā āyer menged), formerly ''Ethiopian Air Lines'' (EAL), is the flag carrier of Ethiopia, and is wholly owned by ...
introduced Africa's first ''Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner'' to Namibia. Due to flight performance and headwinds,
Airlink Airlink is an airline based in Johannesburg, South Africa. Its main business is to provide services between smaller, under-served towns and larger hub airports. It has since expanded to offer flights on larger, mainline routes. The airline h ...
in March 2019 has decided to re-direct its technical fuel-stop in Windhoek to Walvis Bay Airport, a move which would accommodate more passengers on the final leg to
Saint Helena Airport Saint Helena Airport is an international airport on Saint Helena, a remote island in the south Atlantic Ocean, in the British Overseas Territory of Saint Helena, Ascension, and Tristan da Cunha. The construction of the runway was finished ...
. FlyWestair, a subsidiary of privately owned Westair Aviation introduced scheduled passenger flights between Windhoek and O.R.Tambo International Airport from early November 2020. In December 2017 Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA), Namibia's flagship airport, hosted officials from the Airport Council International (ACI) APEX partners from the Dublin Airport Authority, Airports Company South Africa, Office National des Aéroports of Morocco, Ghana Airports Company and Airports of Mauritius Company, aiming to establish commitment and ultimately confirm a declaration of ACI APEX Safety Peer-review Programme with the ''Namibia Airports Company'' (NAC). On 10 January 2018, the ''Namibian Civil Aviation Authority'' launched the implementation of Africa's first centralised aeronautical database. This technology (Africa-Aeronautical Database or A-CAD), will allow flight planners the option of operating at the press of a button by using various mobile devices and follows the requirements of the
International Civil Aviation Organization The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO, ) is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates the principles and techniques of international air navigation, and fosters the planning and development of international ...
(ICAO).
Kenya Airways Kenya Airways Ltd., more commonly known as Kenya Airways, is the flag carrier airline of Kenya. The company was founded in 1977, after the dissolution of East African Airways. Its head office is located in Embakasi, Nairobi, with its hub at Jo ...
in May 2021 signed an interline agreement with South African airline, Airlink, to connect passengers from Nairobi via Johannesburg and Cape Town to Windhoek. The airport handled 1,574,148 passengers in 2016. Although Hosea Kutako International Airport is the main airport for international flights to and from Namibia, few domestic flights originate at Hosea Kutako International Airport as those are predominantly handled at the smaller Windhoek
Eros Airport Eros Airport or Windhoek Eros Airport is an airport serving Windhoek, the capital and largest city of Namibia. It is located in the Khomas Region, about south of Windhoek's central business district and was a secondary hub for Air Namibia. ...
, about 4,7 km (2,92 mi) south of Windhoek's central business district. In September 2019,
UPS Airlines UPS Airlines is a major American cargo airline based in Louisville, Kentucky. The second-largest cargo airline worldwide (World's largest airlines#By scheduled freight tonne-kilometres (millions), in terms of freight volume flown), UPS Airlines f ...
announced that the company is adding Namibia to its global air-cargo network. The airport is operated by Namibia Airports Company. Since February 2018, the CEO of the company has been Albertus Aochamub. In February 2021, Air Namibia which maintained its home base and hub at the airport, ceased operations. In November 2021, Westair Namibia, the parent company of FlyWestair, rebranded to FlyNamibia. In July 2022 Air Tanzania with its headquarters in Dar Es Salaam, reveal plans to start flights to the Namibian capital, while
CemAir CemAir (Pty) Ltd is a privately owned airline operating in South Africa, servicing popular tourist destinations and important business towns, as well as leasing aircraft to other airlines across Africa and the Middle East. The airline is based ...
, a low-cost South African carrier, is looking into expanding capacity from Johannesburg's O.R.Tambo airport to Windhoek with 14 weekly flights.
South African Airways South African Airways (SAA) is the flag carrier airline of South Africa. Founded in 1934, the airline is headquartered in Airways Park at O. R. Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg and operated a hub-and-spoke network, serving ten des ...
resumed its post-Covid operation between Johannesburg and Windhoek with daily doubles in December 2022. In October 2022,
FlySafair FlySafair is an international low-cost airline based in Johannesburg, South Africa. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Safair. The company slogan is ''For The Love Of Flying.'' History The airline was established in August 2013 and was granted ...
successfully negotiated a new route between Cape Town International Airport and Windhoek, while an application for the Johannesburg-Windhoek route is still pending approval.


Facilities

Though there are few services available near the field, the Sungate Namibia Business Park is being constructed just outside the airport, which will include car rental facilities, airline catering, a truck stop and
bureau de change A bureau de change (plural bureaux de change, both ) (British English) or currency exchange (American English) is a business where people can exchange one currency for another. Nomenclature Although originally French, the term "bureau de chan ...
. Improvements to the terminal building have been the recently refurbished duty free restaurant, TAX refund facilities and public (short and long term) parking area. In February 2014, Namibia Airports Company acquired 11 Merce Rhino fire vehicles, of which 2 are assigned to Hosea Kutako Airport, (a Category 9 airport). This accruement exceed the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization's (ICAO) safety standards. Free WiFi is available at the duty free restaurant. The 214 square meters "Amushe"-business lounge was opened in September 2016, comfortably accommodating 55 passengers at a time.


Expansion

The Namibia Airports Company (NAC) is in the planning stages of constructing a new airport complete with aerodrome classification of category 4F (of the International Aviation Organization (ICAO) Aerodrome Reference Code in terms of Annex 14 of ICAO). This new development would render the airport to accommodate multiple wide-bodied code F aircraft. This project would require a new runway, including taxiways/ aprons. The NAC envisages a newly constructed terminal building that would include separate VIP check-in/ ancillary facilities. A new traffic control tower and fire station would complete the project. In November 2017, the Namibian Government and the Vice Minister of China, Qian Keming, signed an economic and technical cooperation agreement, which will see China offer around 30 million U.S. dollars for part of the N$900m/78 km dual carriageway between the airport and Windhoek. In May 2018 a spokesperson for ''Namibia Airports Company'' announced that the arrivals- and check-in hall, the luggage handling area, the security screening point will be temporarily improved. With airport traffic increasing, the need for a new terminal, runway and apron has been prioritised. In September 2019 a local building contractor, Nexus Building Contractor, initiated the Congestion Alleviation project. This N$250 million project targets to double the handling capacity to accommodate increased passenger numbers up until 2030. The project also includes the construction of a new arrival hall, expansion of the current departure hall, and increasing the security screening points.


Airlines and destinations

The following airlines operate regular scheduled services at the airport:


Passenger

Some Eurowings Discover flights operate between Windhoek and Victoria Falls/Mbombela. The airline has full traffic rights to transport passengers between Windhoek and Victoria Falls/Mbombela.


Cargo


Statistics


Ground transportation

The airport operates shuttle services into Windhoek.


See also

* South African Airways Flight 228


References


External links

*
Hosea Kokuto International Airport
" Archive
--> Namibian Directorate of Civil Aviation {{authority control Airports in Namibia Buildings and structures in Khomas Region 1965 establishments in South West Africa Airports established in 1965