Allexer Namundjembo
Independence Patriots for Change (IPC) member of parliament and works and transport shadow minister Nelson Kalangula says the introduction of a per-passenger aviation levy will likely lead to higher ticket prices for Namibians and international travellers.
Kalangula said passenger-based charges are usually passed directly to consumers.
“The introduction of a per-passenger levy will almost certainly lead to an immediate increase in ticket prices for ordinary Namibians and international visitors,” he told the Windhoek Observer on Monday.
He explained that unlike fixed administrative fees, which airlines may absorb, passenger charges are added to the taxes and fees on a ticket.
“On tourism competitiveness, for the tourism industry, while N$90 may seem marginal on a high-end safari package, the cumulative effect on regional circuit travel, where tourists take multiple short-haul flights, can dampen Namibia’s price competitiveness compared to neighbouring destinations. As for domestic constraints, the domestic travellers, N$54 impacts price-sensitive commuters, potentially shifting most of the demand back toward road transport despite the safety and time advantages of flying,” he said.
Kalangula said the move reflects a shift toward a user-pay system.
“It also shows a pivot toward a user-pay model, which is a standard international practice recommended by bodies like ICAO. One can look at the scalability: a usage-based system ensures that the Namibia Civil Aviation Authority’s revenue scales with industry growth. As traffic increases, so does the budget for safety oversight and infrastructure. As for equity, it shifts the burden from smaller fixed-fee operators to the high-volume carriers that utilise the bulk of the regulatory and air traffic resources,” he said.
He said the timing could place pressure on the aviation sector.
“The financial burden argument speaks to the timing and fear, indicating that if the sector is still in a recovery or growth phase, adding variable costs can squeeze the profit margins of local carriers. Replacing some fixed fees, the occupied seat definition requires more oversight to ensure that the extra revenues go to aviation infrastructure development,” he said.
Kalangula said the changes could make air travel less accessible in the short term.
“In actuality, while this is a modernisation of the fiscal framework that aligns Namibia with global aviation trends, the short-term result is an undeniable increase in the financial threshold for air travel and the development in aviation infrastructure in Namibia. It is going to be difficult for domestic passengers especially, considering the already existing high ticket prices. A realisation of competition in airline services will give an opportunity for price reduction; frequent use of flying services will definitely make passengers accustomed to prices, considering our free market economy’s nature and design. I would like to keep a very close eye on it. Aviation is a very expensive and cost-intensive industry; it requires prudent collection of revenues to channel towards sector development and infrastructure upgrades as per international standards,” he said.
His remarks follow amendments to Namibia’s civil aviation regulations.
The changes were published in a government gazette on 16 April 2026 which was issued by the Ministry of Works and Transport in terms of the Civil Aviation Act.
Works and transport minister Veikko Nekundi confirmed the changes.
“I have, after consultation with the Board of Directors of the Namibia Civil Aviation Authority, amended the Namibian Civil Aviation Regulations as set out in the schedule,” he said.
The amendment introduces a new definition of “occupied seat” as the basis for passenger-related charges.
It is defined as “the seat or space on an aircraft occupied for the purposes of passenger use in relation to an international or a domestic flight providing air services, whether scheduled or non-scheduled”.
A new safety charge has been introduced under Part 140. It sets a fee of N$54 per occupied seat for domestic flights and N$90 for international flights, excluding infants.
Under the previous system, the government relied mainly on fixed administrative and application-based fees.
Operators paid standard charges such as N$700 for pilot licence issuance, around N$459 for certain approvals, and between about N$2 000 and N$37 000 for air operator certificates depending on aircraft size.
Security approvals and aviation service applications were also charged as fixed fees, usually ranging from a few hundred to several thousand dollars depending on complexity.
The new framework expands charges across aviation functions, including aircraft certification, drone operations, licensing, aviation security training and aerodrome approvals.
Fees are now structured based on aircraft size, operational complexity and regulatory workload, with some approvals reaching over N$30 000.
The shift marks a move from once-off fees to a usage-based system tied to passenger volumes and service demand.
