The history of Air Botswana dates back to the early 70s, when the country gained independence from the United Kingdom. At the time, the government of Botswana looked to establish a national airline to serve the country’s needs. Thus, Air Botswana was established on the 1st of July 1972 with the objective of providing safe and reliable air services to the people of Botswana.
The airline began operations with two second-hand De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otters that were leased from STOLairus, a Canadian airline. In the same year, the government of Botswana formed a joint venture with Air Links Ltd. and Air Zimbabwe to launch Air Botswana International (ABI). This venture allowed ABI to start international flights from Gaborone to Johannesburg and Harare.
Over the years, Air Botswana has grown substantially, and its fleet now consists of 14 aircraft. The airline operates a mix of turboprop, jet and executive jet aircraft, including two ATR 72-500s, two British Aerospace (BAe) 146-300s, two BAe 146-Jets, two Embraer ERJ-145s, two Hawker Beechcraft 850XPs and four Cessna Citation XLSs.
Throughout its history, Air Botswana has achieved several milestones. Some of these include:
In 1975, Air Botswana became the first African airline to operate a scheduled service to London.
In 1981, the airline introduced the first jet aircraft in Botswana, a BAe 146-100.
In 2003, Air Botswana became the first African airline to be certified to the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO).
In 2007, the airline was awarded an ISO 9001:2000 certificate for meeting stringent quality standards.
In 2014, Air Botswana launched a new flight to Maun, making it the first regional airline to service the area.
Unfortunately, there have been some incidents involving Air Botswana over the years. In 1996, an Air Botswana plane crashed near Francistown, killing all 55 passengers and crew on board. In 2000, the airline was implicated in a bribery scandal involving a former minister of transport, who was accused of taking payments from Air Botswana and other airlines in exchange for granting them favourable business contracts. The scandal resulted in an investigation by the Botswana Anti-Corruption Commission, which ultimately cleared Air Botswana and the other airlines of any wrongdoing.
Overall, Air Botswana has come a long way since its establishment in 1972. From a small regional carrier with two aircraft, the airline has grown to become one of the most respected carriers in Africa, with a fleet of 14 aircraft and service to more than 15 destinations across the continent. The airline has also achieved several important milestones over the years, and is one of the few African carriers to be certified to the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations (IS-BAO). Despite a few incidents, Air Botswana has remained committed to providing safe and reliable air services to the people of Botswana for nearly 50 years.
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