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Wednesday, April 3, 2013

►► BOTSWANA: Air Botswana officially announce new destinations; new timetables loaded.

Air Botswana
[UPDATE 03 APRIL 2013]  Following on from our previous post on the topic, Air Botswana (BP) have announced their new updated timetable with new destinations including Johannesburg (Lanseria), Cape Town,  Nairobi (Kenya), Lilongwe, Blantyre (Malawi) and Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) as new destinations from the Batswana carrier's hub, Gaborone. Lusaka, Zambia will also see a third extra Wednesday frequency served in tandem to Lilongwe, Malawi which will receive a twice weekly service (one direct and the other via Lusaka.)

Air Bostwana Avro RJ85 in Maun
Air Bostwana Avro RJ85 in Maun (ctealex)
"From the 28th of October 2012, Air Botswana will add several new routes to their schedule including Nairobi, Cape Town, Lilongwe, Blantyre, Lanseria (Johannesburg) and Victoria Falls. Harare will receive a fourth weekly (Tuesday) non-stop flight (ATR 42-500) while Mondays & Saturdays will operate GBE-HRE-NBO-HRE-GBE (Avro RJ85 Avroliner) and Wednesdays will operate GBE-HRE-BLZ-HRE-GBE (Avro RJ85 Avroliner).
The Victoria Falls-Maun route will be non-stop every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday (ATR 42-500). The new schedule is available for booking but still subject to change. Air Botswana is yet to make an announcement on these new routes."

Air Botswana Route Launches & Network  Changes

All changes effective 28 October 2012 (Northern Winter, Southern Summer)

(NEW) Air Botswana: Gaborone, Botswana - Cape Town, South Africa
-Effective 28 October 2012
  • BP331 GBE 0700 - 0915 CPT AR8 | 247
  • BP330 CPT 1725 - 1940 GBE AR8 | 247
(NEW) Air Botswana: Gaborone, Botswana - Johannesburg (Lanseria), South Africa
-Effective 28 October 2012
  • BP301 GBE 0720 - 0820 HLA AT5 | 35
  • BP303 GBE 1600 - 1700 HLA AT5 | 35
  • BP302 HLA 0850 - 0950 GBE AT5 | 35
  • BP304 HLA 1800 - 1900 GBE AT5 | 35
(NEW) Air Botswana: Gaborone, Botswana - Harare, Zimbabwe - Nairobi, Kenya
-Effective 28 October 2012
  • BP250 GBE 1000 - 1140 HRE 1225 - 1525 NBO AR8 | 16
  • BP251 NBO 1610 - 1910 HRE 1955 - 2135 GBE AR8 | 16
(NEW) Air Botswana: Gaborone, Botswana - Harare, Zimbabwe - Blantyre, Malawi
-Effective 28 October 2012
  • BP268 GBE 0830 - 1000 HRE 1100 - 1210 BLZ AR8 | 3
  • BP267 BLZ 1300 - 1410 HRE 1525 - 1705 GBE AR8 | 3
(NEW) Air Botswana: Gaborone, Botswana - Lilongwe, Malawi
-Effective 28 October 2012
  • BP280 GBE 0930 - 1300 LLW EQV | 14
  • BP281 LLW 1600 - 2050 GBE EQV | 14
(NEW) Air Botswana: Gaborone, Botswana - Lusaka, Zambia - Lilongwe, Malawi
-Effective 28 October 2012
  • BP274 GBE 1030 - 1250 LUN 1335 - 1515 LLW AT5 | 357
  • BP275 LLW 1600 - 1740 LUN 1825 - 2050 GBE AT5 | 357
(NEW) Air Botswana: Maun, Botswana - Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
-Effective 28 October 2012
  • BP241 MUB 1015 - 1115 VFA AT5 | 24
  • BP243 MUB 1420 - 1520 VFA AT5 | 6
  • BP242 VFA 1200 - 1300 MUB AT5 | 24
  • BP244 VFA 1605 - 1705 MUB AT5 | 6
Air Botswana: Gaborone, Botswana - Harare, Zimbabwe
-Effective 28 October 2012
  • BP268 GBE 0830 - 1000 HRE AR8 | 3
  • BP250 GBE 1000 - 1140 HRE AR8 | 16
  • BP264 GBE 1030 - 1240 HRE AT5 | 2
  • BP263 HRE 1340 - 1550 GBE AT5 | 2
  • BP267 HRE 1525 - 1705 GBE AR8 | 3
  • BP251 HRE 1955 - 2135 GBE AR8 | 16
Source [Amadeus]

[UPDATE 26 DECEMBER 2012]  Air Botswana has postponed the launch dates of planned new routes, previously due to start from 28 OCTOBER 2013. 3 routes will now begin from 31 March 2013, while 2 are to be cancelled. 

Gaborone – Harare – Nairobi
- Effective 31 March 2013
  • BP250 GBE1130 – 1340HRE1425 – 1825NBO 146 24
  • BP251 NBO0900 – 1100HRE1200 – 1340GBE 146 35
Gaborone – Harare sector will increase from 3x to 5x weekly as a result

Gaborone – Johannesburg Lanseria
- Effective 3 April 2013
  • BP301 GBE0720 – 0820HLA AT5 35
  • BP303 GBE1600 – 1700HLA AT5 35
  • BP302 HLA0850 – 0950GBE AT5 35
  • BP304 HLA1800 – 1900GBE AT5 35
Maun – Victoria Falls
- 3x weekly
  • BP241 MUB1015 – 1115VFA AT5 24
  • BP243 MUB1515 – 1615VFA AT5 6
  • BP242 VFA1200 – 1300MUB AT5 24
  • BP244 VFA1700 – 1800MUB AT5 6
Gaborone – Lilongwe, Malawi
- Planned 2x weekly service cancelled

Gaborone – Harare – Blantyre, Malawi
- Planned 1x weekly service cancelled

Source [AirlineRoute]

[UPDATE 03 APRIL 2013] As per 03APR13 GDS timetable and inventory display, Air Botswana has once again cancelled planned service launch to Nairobi, Lanseria and Maun – Victoria Falls.