Air Botswana (BP, Gaborone) is again trying to sell its last remaining ATR42-500 following an unsuccessful attempt in 2022.
The airline has invited domestic and international bids for A2-ABN (msn 507) and its associated inventories to be submitted by April 25, 2025. The aircraft will be sold on an "as is, where is" basis in 17 lots that may be bid for individually or collectively. After purchasing the tender documents, interested parties may inspect the aircraft on site in Gaborone on April 14-16, the airline announced in a public notice.
This is Air Botswana's second attempt to sell the ATR42-500. The last attempt was in November 2022, when A2-ABN was also put out to tender.
ch-aviation fleets data shows the 28.5-year-old company-owned airframe has been stored at Gaborone since June 21, 2019. It is equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW127M engines (removed but serviceable). The 47-seater is configured in an all-economy class layout.
The aircraft is the last of five ATR42-500s once operated by the regional southern African airline. It was sold to Air Botswana in August 2000, before which it flew with Continental Express as F-WQNG. It was delivered to ExpressJet Airlines in October 1996 as N33449.
Air Botswana is not entirely moving away from ATR - Avions de Transport Régional turboprops but is diversifying its fleet with the addition of Embraer jets as part of a broader modernisation strategy. The airline still operates two ATR72-600s deployed domestically and regionally to Namibia and South Africa.
The jet fleet comprises one E170 and one E175, while two E145s previously flown by Airfast Indonesia, were ferried to Windhoek Eros, Namibia, in September and October 2024, respectively. Air Botswana CEO Lulu Ratsebotsa previously told ch-aviation that both aircraft were in maintenance with Westair Aviation (WAA, Windhoek Eros) and will be placed on the Namibian carrier's air operator's certificate (AOC) as it would take too long to get them included on Air Botswana's AOC operations specifications (OpsSpecs).
According to the African aviation news site Newsaero, the E145s will be operated by FlyNamibia (WV, Windhoek Eros), a subsidiary of Westair, on behalf of Air Botswana. This temporary arrangement is necessary as the Botswanan national carrier currently lacks the required Approved Maintenance Organisation (AMO) capabilities for this type of aircraft, and they are not yet listed on its AOC.
Air Botswana, WestAir, and FlyNamibia declined to comment when approached by ch-aviation.
