Botswana’s president Duma Boko has announced that the government has secured buyers for three grounded Air Botswana aircraft and will move the carrier toward leasing to stabilise operations, ch-aviation reported on 7 October 2025. The president made the revelation during a televised interview with Bloomberg, stressing that past procurement decisions, buying rather than wet-leasing, had tied up capital in assets that are now underutilised.
ch-aviation and local reporting identify the aircraft as two Embraer ERJ-145s (V5-ABQ/MSN 14501022 and V5-ABW/MSN 14501040) and one Embraer E175 (A2-ABE/MSN 17000327). Registry and flight-tracking records show the ERJ-145s have been parked in Windhoek and placed with Namibian ACMI operator Westair Aviation; the E175 was delivered in August 2024 and officially entered Air Botswana service in May 2025 after regulatory delays.
What was said, what’s verifiable
- President’s claim: Duma Boko told Bloomberg the three aircraft are being sold and that buyers are already secured; he framed the sales as part of a shift toward leasing and governance reform for state firms. The audio/video of that interview is publicly available.
- Aircraft identities & status: ch-aviation confirmed (via reg/MSN checks and ADS-B history) that the two ERJ-145s were acquired in 2024 and have since been placed with Westair in Namibia; the E175 had a protracted entry-into-service timeline owing to manual approvals and was in service from May 2025. These technical details and movements are corroborated by registry and tracking databases.
- Air Botswana’s position: ch-aviation reports the carrier refuted some earlier technical claims (e.g., oil-leak reports during a ferry flight). The airline’s corporate statements should be consulted for definitive operational assertions.
Why the sales matter
- Financial relief: Selling parked assets can free capital and remove maintenance/parking liabilities from Air Botswana’s balance sheet, an important step if the government is moving to lease capacity rather than own it outright.
- Operational focus: A leaner, leased fleet allows greater flexibility to match capacity to demand, reduce pilot and maintenance type-training complexity, and avoid grounding costs associated with under-utilised types. Multiple African carriers have shifted to leasing models to manage cash and seasonal demand.
- Market signal: The reported buyers (not yet named publicly) will be of interest to lessors and secondary-market brokers; a confirmed sale would trigger registration transfers and potential international export filings that are public records. Until such filings appear, the commercial claim is provisional.
Timeline & quick facts
- 2024: Air Botswana acquires ERJ-145s and an E175 amid a fleet renewal plan.
- Aug 28, 2024: E175 (A2-ABE) delivered from Regional One but faced regulatory/manual approval delays.
- May 25, 2025: E175 enters service on regional routes after approvals.
- Aug–Sep 2025: ERJ-145s parked in Windhoek and operated by Westair under ACMI; ADS-B shows aircraft inactive in Botswana.
- Oct 2025: President Boko announces buyers secured for three grounded aircraft; government signals shift to leasing strategy.
Caveats & what remains unconfirmed
- Buyer identities and transaction documentation, not disclosed in public reporting to date. We’ll look for de-registration/transfer notices, sale contracts, lessor statements or civil aviation export approvals to fully verify. ch-aviation’s report appropriately flags that it contacted the airline for verification.
- Technical allegations (oil leaks, engine vibrations), remain contested; the airline has publicly refuted specific claims and regulators would be the repository for formal incident findings. Rely on CAAB records for authoritative determinations.
What’s next? Industry outlook
- Watch for filings: If sales proceed, expect to see formal deregistration and re-registration filings in international registries or lessor announcements within weeks. Those documents will confirm buyer names, sale prices and transfer dates.
- Fleet strategy: Air Botswana’s shift to leasing (if enacted) mirrors a trend among fiscally constrained national carriers. Successful leasing arrangements should reduce stranded asset risk, but require strong contract management and oversight to avoid recurring cost inefficiencies.
- Regional ripple: Aircraft that exit Botswana may re-enter the southern African ACMI/charter market or be placed with regional carriers; lessors will assess the marketability of ERJ-145s and E175s given route networks and pilot type ratings across Africa.
Sources & further reading
- ch-aviation, Air Botswana secures buyers for three aircraft, president, Hilka Birns, 7 Oct 2025.
- Bloomberg, Duma Boko interview video and transcript.
- Botswana Gazette / regional reporting, coverage of government decision to sell aircraft.
- Planespotters / registry pages, ERJ-145 and E175 registration histories (V5-ABQ, V5-ABW, A2-ABE).
- Air Botswana press materials, E175 delivery and service entry (Air Botswana newsroom).
