ONGWEDIVA -Passengers booked with Air Namibia on the Ondangwa - Windhoek route on Monday were left stranded after the afternoon and evening flights were cancelled.

The cancellation saw tempers rise among Air Namibia passengers booked on flights for Monday evening.
Air Namibia Public Relations Officer Twakulilwa Kayofa said the flight cancellation came about after a technical error was detected on the Embraer Jet (ERJ135) used for domestic operation.

According to Kayofa, all the affected passengers were re-booked for Tuesday’s available flights and have since all reached their destinations.

“On Tuesday we had to operate an additional flight to cater for the backlog of passengers; I can confirm that all passengers have reached their respective destinations,” Kayofa explained.

To sooth, the agony the national airline booked the affected passengers in local hotels where they were compensated with free meals and free transport to and from the airport.
Disgruntled passengers, particularly those who had scheduled meetings expressed dismay at the operations of the airline.
However, Kayofa said the airline puts safety first and it cannot compromise the safety of its passengers at the expense of convenience.

“Flight delays or cancellations only happen to ensure that passengers arrive at their destinations on time,” said Kayofa.
He further explained before any flight takes off, the authorised personnel check all technical and mechanical aspects of an aircraft and only then is the aircraft released.

Queried whether the airline has any contingency plan to avoid delays in the future, Kayofa said delays and cancellations are unexpected events, but the airline always has a plan to ensure air travel remains fast and comfortable, as it should be.
Kayofa could not provide an exact number of the people who were affected.