Former employees of now-defunct Air Namibia (Windhoek International) are still awaiting their full severance payouts, four years after the airline’s liquidation and despite a 2024 ruling by the Namibian High Court ordering the liquidators to compensate the workforce.
Renier Bougard, a former employee and spokesman for the former staff, told the local Kosmos Radio on September 4: "We haven't received our full severance packages yet."
He said employees had met with the ministers of justice, finance, and transport two weeks ago but had yet to receive any feedback. "We are giving them some time, because our issues are so numerous, diverse, and complex that I think they need more time. Remember, these are new ministers in the portfolios, so it’s the first time I think they’ve heard about all of our issues.”
According to the Namibian Sun newspaper, more than 600 ex-workers are owed about NAD105 million Namibian dollars (USD6 million). In June and July, former employees demonstrated in the capital Windhoek expressing their frustrations over the ongoing delays.
The liquidation of Air Namibia served as formal notice of dismissal, triggering the liquidators’ obligation under Namibian labour law to pay severance to employees. However, a dispute arose over whether the airline’s contributions to pension, social security, and medical aid constituted "remuneration."
In August 2024, Bougard and 80 fellow ex-Air Namibia employees won a legal case against the joint liquidators when the Namibian High Court ruled that their severances must reflect their full cost to the company, including salary, allowances, and employer contributions. The court ordered recalculation of all entitlements and payment of any outstanding amounts from December 2022.
Meanwhile, the current Namibian government plans to launch a new national airline from scratch, rather than revive Air Namibia. A feasibility study is underway, but no launch date has been set. Workforce hiring details, including whether ex-Air Namibia employees will be employed, have not yet been disclosed publicly.
