THE Botswana government is negotiating with Dublin-based consultants International Development Ireland Ltd (IDI) in association with Irish regional airline, Aer Arann, to take over a three-year contract to manage Air Botswana.
Tyrell Duncan, economic adviser at Botswana’s Ministry of Works and Transport, says: “Negotiations are making good progress, but it’s too early to judge when they will be completed.”
IDI was the reserve bidder after Comair in the tender process earlier this year for Air Botswana’s management contract. Disagreement between Comair and the Botswana government over performance and financial guarantees resulted in Comair withdrawing from the process. Comair joint ceo, Erik Venter, said performance and financial guarantees required by the Botswana government would have made it too risky for Comair to get involved.
Duncan said IDI was set up by the Irish government in 1989 to provide practical knowledge and support to developing countries, but was privatised some years later. It is already involved in several projects in Botswana, having advised on the restructuring of the national telecommunications operator and on the re-organisation of the state’s industry and commerce ministry.
The Dublin-based Irish Times has quoted IDI executive, Ted Bowe, as saying it would be “challenging to put a deal together” in Botswana, given the current headwinds facing the aviation industry.
