View Full Version : AIR BOTSWANA - what a joke!
samueldethierry
17th Apr 2006, 22:50
Air botswana - one of the most unreliable airlines in the world. I certainly think so - what do you think?
Hi, my brother lives in Maun and flies Air B regularly. Not only does he agree he has become scared of flying as well....
cavortingcheetah
18th Apr 2006, 07:42
:\
I can rather remember when the rot began to set in many years ago. it all happened around the time that one of the F 27s came back from the UK after a refit.:rolleyes:
You'll never guess what the cabin crew thought that the raised discs which demarcated the overwing exits were really for?:yuk:
George Tower
18th Apr 2006, 15:12
Do any particular incidents spring to mind?? Know they had an incident where a disgruntled pilot apparently trashed an ATR a while back.
Flew on them quite a few times and I'd have to say the Air Botswana cabin crew had to be the most sourest and rudest people I had met.
Any figures for dispatch relaibility......may be I was lucky as I was never delayed.
Phenomenon
18th Apr 2006, 17:29
Know they had an incident where a disgruntled pilot apparently trashed an ATR a while back.
Not too sure if this is true... but the story I heard was that a captain was discharged becuase he lost his flying medical. To get back at the company he stole an ATR, flew one circuit and "landed" it on the apron. He took out most of their fleet of ATR's back then.
One way of going out with a bang! :}
stevef
18th Apr 2006, 19:31
Happened in 1999, I think. Yes, that's right about the pilot getting his medical pulled and he was given a ground job, which he wasn't happy about. To cut a long story short, he took one of the ATRs early in the morning, flew around for a while, demanding to speak to the top management and president and even threatened to crash the aeroplane into the presidential house in Gaborone. Then he demanded that the other two AB ATRs were lined up on the apron and flew into them. According to the FDR, he'd pulled a couple of loops on his fly-around.
AB had to call in a couple of South African operators to fly its routes until it acquired some replacements. I've flown with them many times and to be fair, the cabin service was OK. Can't say the same about the counter staff and management at Maun though. Slight tendency to hide when things fell apart.
Expensive airline but I always had an AD50 so can't complain!
Airforce1
19th Apr 2006, 08:52
Well they got to replace their ATR 42-300's with the improved ATR 42-500's from insurance, so AB gained in the end, pity their maintenance is letting them down now.
RadTag
19th Apr 2006, 10:05
I don't know guys. From an ATC point of view, we get on with them well. They a always friendly and willing to help. We've never really had any problems with them. They seem to be quite professional in what they do. :ok:
I might be wrong though!
Phenomenon
19th Apr 2006, 20:07
I have to agree with RadTag...
I haven't flown with them much but I have done a couple of flights for them through sub charters and the flight attendants and other crew we've come across seem very friendly and proffessional.
Can't comment on the ground staff though but the operations guys are also not too bad.
They have had quite a questionable past but nowadays they seem to be getting better and better.:ok:
flying paddy
20th Apr 2006, 08:16
hi
Believe me you will fly on alot worse than AB. Things are improving there as well, new CEO at the helm. The pilots are as good as any I have ever met as well. They are also planning to expand the fleet.
Cheers
Paddy
George Tower
20th Apr 2006, 11:22
They are also planning to expand the fleet
This is a rumour network.....so care to share the details. My understanding is that it will be more of a fleet replacment.
Rgds GT
cavortingcheetah
20th Apr 2006, 12:21
:hmm:
The rumour which I heard was that they might be entering into a code share with Air Namibia. One of the ex AB CEOs went on to become CEO of Air Namibia. So there is serious political aviaton history between the two countries. With the increase in the price of gold, Namibia is looking to expand its internatonal operations but would prefer to work through Seretse K as a main southern African hub rather than Windhoek. So a merger is on the cards between the two companies and, being a little on the nationalistic side and wanting to run the main flag waving operation themselves, the Botswana government, flush with diamond revenue, is seeking to acquire two triple sevens to run through Nigeria and thence on to the States. They're also very keen to operate to Egypt in particular where serious gold mining operations have just started in the western desert. The decision as to whether or not to upgrade the domestic AB fleet to 737/800s has still not been made but it looks to be a very likely follow on.
spice
20th Apr 2006, 12:59
I would rather fly Air Bots these days than SAA .... flew to Gabs a while back, had a fab flight, good service & friendly cabin crew. :)
I have always wondered how anyone can justify the amazing price of ther ticket to Gaborone (45 mins flying time) It appears to be cheaper to fly to Cape Town!
They seem to be unable to run their schedule at the moment, and are always appealing to SA companies to do it for them. The maintenance sucks, and there is no sign that the new CEO has made any difference. I believe a fleet change is on the cards, but even that is fraught with disagreements and the news in Bots is that the CEO and board cannot see eye to eye on this....or any other matter!:O :O :O :O
One of the ATRs was stuck in JHB for over three weeks because one of the captains commenced push-back without taking the park brake off! (This had a bad effect on the nose wheel!):E
Mark J B
21st Apr 2006, 16:26
Their maintenance record stinks. Only one ATR and one BAE serviceable, hence the SA aircraft flying their routes. I would not fly with them if geven a choice.
Phenomenon
21st Apr 2006, 22:57
Only one ATR and one BAE serviceable
In all fairness at least they are grounding their unseviceable aircraft and outsourcing to get seviceable ones to operate their routes... unlike other african airlines that just keep flying the unseviceable aircraft.
George Tower
22nd Apr 2006, 10:19
Anyone know who does their maintenance? Do they sub it out or do they do it in house? Their website site says they're qualified to do work on the PW engines but makes no mention of the BAe146s of which they now have two.
Mark J B
23rd Apr 2006, 13:55
Done in house, and that is where it gets scary. While I was there they flew an ATR for months that had bent turbine blades on one engine. You could hear it for miles as it departed and arrived at the airfield. Same time as they had a couple of in flight shut downs.
EDDNHopper
24th Apr 2006, 07:23
samueldethierry,
care to share with us what made you come to that conclusion?
cavortingcheetah,
Triple 7s?? 738s?? :confused: Who told you that?
Last thing I heard was imminent replacement of fleet, and there have been talks with Bombardier, ATR and Xian (for MA 60s).
Deskjocky
24th Apr 2006, 08:08
:hmm:
The rumour which I heard was that they might be entering into a code share with Air Namibia. One of the ex AB CEOs went on to become CEO of Air Namibia. So there is serious political aviaton history between the two countries. With the increase in the price of gold, Namibia is looking to expand its internatonal operations but would prefer to work through Seretse K as a main southern African hub rather than Windhoek. So a merger is on the cards between the two companies and, being a little on the nationalistic side and wanting to run the main flag waving operation themselves, the Botswana government, flush with diamond revenue, is seeking to acquire two triple sevens to run through Nigeria and thence on to the States. They're also very keen to operate to Egypt in particular where serious gold mining operations have just started in the western desert. The decision as to whether or not to upgrade the domestic AB fleet to 737/800s has still not been made but it looks to be a very likely follow on.
One of the more interesting rumours posted here recently, unfortunately based more on fiction than anything else. Its going to take more than a strong diamond price to generate enough traffic to fill a B777- wherever you want to fly it! If you look at the cold hard facts Botswana- as a country- just does not have the wherewithal to sustain any long haul operation, in fact I think even the B738 idea is a stretch. Combining with Air Namibia to form some sort of Southern Africa Air Afrique......:hmm: hasn’t worked before and there is nothing to say it will work here again.
RED LAND ASAP
24th Apr 2006, 08:33
:cool: I flew for them for a couple of years....What I can say about AB is that it's a nice place to fly with reasonably good standard. I would personally allow my family to fly AB rather than many other african co. I've known.
The only prob with AB is that it's the Cabin crew that is indirectly running the show!:{
cavortingcheetah
26th Apr 2006, 17:48
:hmm:
Don't tell on the bundu drums that Grace is still around?
One of the people that seems to have a bad influence on the airline is back from a stint in Jwaneng. His arrival marked the departure of all citizen captains and is likely to prove a mistake for the airline!
cavortingcheetah
26th Apr 2006, 18:08
:eek:
Does that mean that once again pilots from the east of Africa are perring lerringly out the port vision windows?
A strange tale indeed of the vagaries of Africa if true!:hmm:
George Tower
27th Apr 2006, 15:50
CC,
Is there any more substance to rumours you shared regarding the triple sevens and 737NGs with respect to Air Botswana
departure of all citizen captains and is likely to prove a mistake for the airline
Very Surprising - if true.
My experience of doing business in Botswana isn't avaiation related but what I have gathered from the last few years is that the Botswana government has a policy of "localisation" - in other words quite an aggressive effort to fill all vacancies in government services with locals. I know that in health and education there are a great many professionals are sourced from other neighbouring states.
cavortingcheetah
27th Apr 2006, 18:23
:uhoh:
What Ho! George Tower.:O
Someone asked for a rum rumour so I provided one. Have to say that in reality there is absolutely no substance to it but it might all be true. Some of the more fanciful flights of my imagination have born fruit.
:hmm: Zoom Air, now there's a goodish name for a South African aid supplier?:E
Solid Rust Twotter
27th Apr 2006, 19:27
:hmm: Zoom Air, now there's a goodish name for a South African aid supplier?:E
Air Fly By Night...?:E :ok:
SLE145
3rd May 2006, 15:38
Having Flown a couple of BP Flights lately, in relief of their grounded machines, I can only say that is been hilarious.
We have seen Pax Charged extra for window seats, in a 1900... Duh! All are window seats... :D
Flight delayed by 20 min while pax are waiting on board the 1900 (a bit hot and stuffy in there without APU etc...) Because the CEO of Air Banana was late... :hmm:
They also attempted to load something like 26 Pax on a 1900... Er..Eish... Problem...
Talk about client satisfaction. He He He. But Snacking on their biltong all day has been good.
Not a very smooth operation.:D