Ministry defends work visa policy for foreign pilots amid industry concerns

Executive director Nghidinua Daniel explained that work visas are granted to foreigners only when they are qualified and no Namibians are available for the roles, prioritizing Namibian citizens in the labor market. This defense follows a white paper from the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Aopa highlighting a critical shortage of pilots, with only 202 Namibian commercial pilot license holders, leading to a shortfall of at least 74 commercial pilots and flight instructors. The association claims this shortage has caused airlines to ground planes, particularly impacting high-end tourism dependent on charter flights.

Daniel also noted that applications might be rejected if incomplete or if there's insufficient proof of efforts to recruit Namibians. He added that expatriates are expected to help build local capacity through understudy programs and skills transfer. However, Aopa chief executive Matt Totten stated that commercial pilot licenses cannot be earned through observation, requiring formal training at an accredited Namibian Civil Aviation Authority NCAA training organization.

He emphasized that flying fare-paying passengers without a valid NCAA-issued or validated commercial pilot license is a criminal offense. Totten also mentioned that flight instructors are fully employed, producing only 10