
Aircrafts at SSKIA (Pic by http://www.caab.co.bw)
The country’s two major airports, Maun and Sir Seretse Khama International (SSKIA) have continued to outperform each other as shown by the recent data released by Statistics Botswana.
The statistics body said on its Transport and Infrastructure Statistics for Quarter 3 of 2014 that Maun is the busiest by aircraft movement while the Gaborone based SSKIA handles more international traffic.
During the period, a total of 24,870 aircraft movements were recorded for Q3 2014. This was a total increase of 9.4 percent when compared to the 22,735 aircraft movements recorded in Q2 2014, according to Statistics Botswana.
It added that domestic movements tend to dominate when compared to international movements. In the quarter under review, domestic aircraft movement contributed 78.4 percent of the total aircraft movements while international aircraft movements accounted for the remaining 21.6 percent.
“Maun airport was the busiest airport with 59.7 percent of the total aircraft movements, and 36.1 percent of these movements, were recorded during the month of August 2014,” it said.
The months of July and September 2014 contributed 32.6 percent and 31.3 percent of the total aircraft movements respectively. Kasane airport followed with 19.0 percent, where the month of August 2014 recorded 32.0 percent and September 2014 recorded 32.3 percent of aircraft movements.
Ghanzi airport recorded the least number of aircraft movements contributing only 0.25 percent, of which 28.6 percent and 41.3 percent of the aircraft movements were realised in the month of August 2014and September 2014 respectively.
“In Q3 2014, out of the five airports, Gaborone airport handled most of the international traffic at 58.3 percent. Maun airport handled mostly domestic traffic, accounting for 93.1 percent of total traffic which used Maun airport.”
“Compared to the preceding quarter, Q2 2014, Francistown, Selibe Phikwe and Ghanzi airports recorded a decrease of 7.0 percent, 3.4 percent and 3.1 percent respectively in aircraft movements. Gaborone and Maun airports both recorded an increase of 6.5 percent in aircraft movements.”
However, compared to Q3 2013, Gaborone and Kasane airports recorded increases in aircraft movements of 9.4 percent and 3.0 percent respectively. Other airports (Maun, Francistown, Selibi Phikwe and Ghanzi) recorded decreases of 3.0, 4.8, 13.6 and 19.2 percent respectively.