A Lufthansa plane carrying 133 passengers became the first direct commercial flight from Europe to land in Namibia on Sunday after the southern African country opened its borders to international travellers earlier this month.
The Lufthansa Airbus A330-300 from Frankfurt in Germany became the first direct scheduled airline flight from Europe to land at the Hosea Kutako International Airport in Windhoek since an international travel ban in March in the aftermath of the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic.
To signify the importance of the occasion, the plane was welcomed with a ceremonial water salute.
Namibia’s Tourism Minister Pohamba Shifeta welcomed the return of international travellers, saying the “re-launch of the Lufthansa Group’s direct flights from Europe is very important for our country and supports our international tourism revival initiative.”
“The Namibian tourism industry, which in my understanding has prepared its services according to professional health and safety protocols and guidelines, offers travellers a safe and secure environment for their relaxed Namibian holiday,” Shifeta said.
Namibia closed its borders on March 28 as part of early efforts to contain the spread of coronavirus.
Lufthansa has announced that it would operate three weekly direct flights between Windhoek and Frankfurt. The flights would be on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.
“Reinstating a non-stop route between Frankfurt and Windhoek offers German and other leisure visitors from around the globe access to Namibia’s renowned wildlife experience amongst other tourist attractions while providing an effective connection for business travellers looking to commute between Namibia’s capital city, Windhoek, and one of Europe’s major financial hubs, Frankfurt,” said André Schulz, general manager for Southern Africa and East Africa at Lufthansa.
The Namibian government has announced that the foreign tourists would be subject to stringent measures to ensure the visitors do not bring in the COVID-19 virus.
All tourists would be expected to present certificates showing that they tested negative for coronavirus prior to travelling to Namibia.
As part of the quarantine measures, all international tourists would be required to spend at least seven days at the hotel or lodge that they would be booked at.
During that period they would be tested to ensure that they do not have the virus, before they are allowed to visit other places in Namibia.
JN/APA