Air Namibia liquidation case postponed

Namibia’s High Court has again postponed a case in which Air Namibia (SW, Windhoek Int’l) is facing liquidation over a historical debt of USD24.2 million to the bankruptcy estate of defunct Belgian carrier Challengair (1I, Brussels National). Air Namibia spokesperson Twaku Kayofa confirmed to ch-aviation the case, which was due to have been heard in the Windhoek High Court on December 1, 2020, was postponed to January 29, 2021. The matter had already been postponed from October 2020. The cash-stricken national carrier was to re-appear to defend an application to have it liquidated filed by Anicet Baum, the Belgian liquidator of Challengair, relating to overdue monthly payments of a settlement of NAD400 million Namibian dollars (USD24.2 million) following a longstanding dispute over the lease and maintenance of a B767-300(ER) in 1998. The Namibian newspaper reports the matter was postponed at the request of Air Namibia to give both parties time to reach an out-of-court settlement. This followed a notice filed by the country’s Public Enterprises Ministry on December 1 that the government intended to oppose the liquidation application. Air Namibia’s interim Chief Executive Officer Theo Mberirua in an affidavit said the airline had repaid about NAD23.5 million (USD1.5 million) of the outstanding settlement claim. He also disputed Baum’s allegation that the airline was insolvent. He said the airline would be able to pay its debt with the financial support of the government. The government reportedly is considering a NAD4.7 billion (USD303.8 million) turnaround plan for Air Namibia, after the airline in October requested NAD193 million (USD11.6 million) to restart operations following losses sustained because of the COVID-19 lockdown.