Air Namibia 747-400 “Welwitschia” | A Forgotten African Legend

Air Namibia’s Sole 747-400 “Welwitschia”

Brief Overview of the Airline:

Air Namibia Air was the national airline of Namibia, founded in 1946 as South West Air Transport and later rebranded as Air Namibia in 1991 after the country’s independence. The airline primarily operated domestic, regional, and international flights, connecting Namibia to major destinations in Africa and Europe. It was a state-owned enterprise meaning the Government of Namibia held 100% ownership of the airline. Air Namibia’s mission was to support Namibia’s economic development by facilitating tourism and business travel. The airline was headquartered in Windhoek, with its hub at Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH). With financial struggles, incapable of competing with other airlines, and heavy reliance on government bailouts, the airline liquidated its assets and shut at 2021.

The Namibian 747-400:

AIRFRAME, HISTORY, ETC.:

Aircraft Type Boeing 747-400M
Serial Number 28551
Line Number 1131
Deliver October 1999 To Air Namibia
Regristrasion V5-NMA
Age to present 27.3 Years
Status Stored (Bank of Utah as Charter)
Capacity Eco: 236, Bus 32, Fir: 16, with 40 T cargo


OPERATOR HISTORY:

Air Namibia was the first one to acquire the aircraft in 1999, then afterwards it had been sold to the Abu Dhabi Government as A6-UAE, particularly using it for presidential flights, then in 2015, it had another government owner, Morocco, again for presidential flights. Then in November of 2017, it was once again part of the Dubai Air Wing. Afterwards it got purchased by Air Atlanta Icelandic and finally stored in the hands of the Bank of Utah in 2024.


WHAT ROUTES WERE FLOWN:

From Windhoek:

Country City Notes
Germany Frankfurt
United Kingdom Heathrow
South Africa Johannesburg
Zimbabwe Harare -DEMAND-
Angola Luanda -DEMAND-
Zambia Lusaka -DEMAND-

LIVERY:

The Air Namibia livery features a Eurowhite base with the airline name pasted between the gap of the second floor and first floor windows along with the company logo which oddly looks like Lufthansa’s. And in the tail features the country’s flag. Basic livery.

Why it should be added:

I feel like Namibia is a country that deserves to be in the aviation spotlight, most especially in the IF spotlight. The history of the airline is very rich. This can serve as a tribute to the now defunct airline. It also gives the opportunity to try new routes to and from Namibia and Africa.

its great to add this aircraft update