Eswatini Air (RN, Manzini King Mswati III International) has received its air operator's certificate (AOC) and plans to announce a launch date as soon as it has secured the necessary foreign operator permits (FOPs) from South Africa and Zimbabwe.
This has been announced by state-owned parent Royal Eswatini National Airways (RENAC). "The next step is to obtain related operating permits from aeronautical authorities of the foreign countries we plan to operate to, and soon thereafter, a date for commencement of our operations will be announced", said RENAC Chief Executive Officer Qiniso Dhlamini.
As reported, a protracted certification process with the Eswatini Civil Aviation Authority (ESWACAA) had delayed Eswatini Air's planned debut in June 2022.
Initial destinations to be served from the Southern African kingdom's Manzini King Mswati III International - using two ex-HOP! (France) 50-seater EMB-145EPs bought from Air France - include Durban King Shaka, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo and Cape Town International in South Africa, and Harare International, Zimbabwe. The aircraft underwent maintenance in Johannesburg, including avionic upgrades and rebranding.
"Continuous market potential analyses will be conducted to assess additional destinations to be added to the airline's route network. The date for the launch of operations will be announced in due course, to be followed by the opening of our systems [for] bookings and ticket purchases," RENAC said in a statement.
The delay in certification left the landlocked kingdom located between South Africa and Mozambique with no own scheduled services since it terminated a joint venture called Eswatini Airlink (Manzini Matsapha) on June 1, 2022, in anticipation of Eswatini Air's launch. Eswatini Airlink had been a 23-year-long partnership with Airlink (South Africa) (4Z, Johannesburg O.R. Tambo), which stepped in to operate Eswatini Airlink (formerly Swaziland Airlink) after the demise of former state carrier Royal Swazi National Airways (Manzini Matsapha) in 1999. The Eswatini government had a majority stake in Eswatini Airlink, which had a monopoly on the Johannesburg-Manzini route. Airlink continues to operate the route in its own right.
