Eswatini Air, the flag carrier of Eswatini, is preparing for commercial launch on March 26, 2023. The airline was originally set for launch in 2022, but the launch was delayed as the airline acquired the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) from Eswatini Civil Aviation Authority (ESWACAA) in December 2022.
The airline is planning a three-phase launch starting with one destination as of now then adding two more destinations in April 2023 and a fourth destination thereafter, the airline said in a statement.
The start-up airline has applied for slots at Johannesburg O.R. Tambo, Durban King Shaka, and Cape Town airports in South Africa, and Harare International airport in Zimbabwe and plans to kick-start the operations with two Embraer ERJ 145.
“So far, we have received our Foreign Operator Permit (FOP) for Zimbabwe, and the FOP for South Africa is in the process. We expect to have everything regarding that smoothed out very soon,” the airline added.
The airline plans to publish its schedule and pricing as soon as the outstanding matters were cleared. Meanwhile the recruitment and training of crew and other staff is currently underway.
"At the present moment, we can't set a definite date for our maiden flight as the turnaround time for the outstanding process is dependent on various factors beyond our control. We, however, envisage taking to the skies at the beginning of the next IATA season, which is 26 March 2023," the airline added.
Formerly known as the Royal Eswatini National Airways Corporation (RENAC), the airline will serve from King Mswati III International Airport as its hub.