President Advocate Duma Gideon Boko has announced a comprehensive restructuring of Botswana’s aviation sector aimed at enhancing air transport efficiency and profitability.
Speaking at the Aviation Pitso in Maun on Thursday, President Boko revealed that a strategic unbundling exercise will be implemented, involving Air Botswana, the Civil Aviation Authority of Botswana (CAAB), and the management of airports across the country.
The reform will see each entity assume a specialised role in the aviation value chain, in line with Botswana’s ambitions to transform its air transport industry into a commercially viable and regionally competitive sector, said Boko.
“The exercise compels us to bring in investors to develop our airport infrastructure,” Boko stated. He confirmed that Botswana is at an advanced stage of securing investments for key airport developments, with Maun International Airport being a top priority.
Highlighting Botswana’s geographic advantage, Boko said the country is well-positioned to serve as a regional transport hub and must act decisively to capitalize on this proximity. “We now need to achieve the highest level of connectivity. Botswana has a high potential to unlock air transport opportunities,” he added.
In a direct call for action, the President urged stakeholders to move beyond ceremonial discussions. “We must not meet here to flatter and keep reciting statistics. We need to be very honest with ourselves. We’re dealing with real issues,” he stated.
The aviation sector is one of the many that the President Boko led government has identified as bearing potential to grow the economy of the country.