Mack Air Explained

Airline:Mack Air
Iata:-
Icao:MKB
Callsign:Greentail
Commenced:1994
Fleet Size:See Fleet below
Headquarters:Maun, Botswana
Key People:Stuart and Lara Mackay
Num Employees:110 (2021)

Mack Air is a charter airline based in Maun, Botswana. The company has been operating in northern Botswana since 1994.

The company provides aircraft for charter, scenic, medical evacuation, and services a wide range of tourist destinations within Botswana and the Southern Africa region; as well as providing supply flights to camps and lodges within the Okavango Delta and Kalahari regions of Botswana.[1]

The Botswana Travel Guide says of the airline that it "maintains a good reputation as an reliable, high-quality air charter company which doesn't have ties to any of the camps."[2]

History

Mack Air was founded at Maun Airport, Botswana in 1994 by Lara and Stuart Mackay with a single Cessna 206 Stationair.[3]

In 2007 Mack Air employed 15 people and in 2019 reported 50 employees, including 19 pilots. By 2021 it had 110 employees, including 30 pilots.[4] [5] [6]

In 2017, the company took delivery of ten new Cessna Grand Caravan EXs as part of its fleet expansion.[7]

In 2019, Mack Air became the first private commercial operator in Botswana to be issued an International Scheduled Air Service Licence.[8]

Accidents and incidents

On 6 January 2010 the company's Cessna 208 crashed and was "extensively damaged" upon takeoff from Piajio Airstrip, Chief's Island, Okavango Delta, Botswana when its engine failed. The aircraft landed on a wet flood plain and overturned. The pilot and the five passengers were all injured, including one passenger who suffered a broken hip. The pilot and four of the injured passengers were evacuated to a South African hospital.[9] [10]

Destinations

The following is a list of destinations Mack Air flies to as part of its scheduled services, :[11]

Fleet

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mack Air. 2015-09-21. Mack Air.
  2. Web site: Flight companies. 28 December 2010. Botswana Travel Guide.
  3. Spaeth . Andreas . Botswana's sky-high bush safari . Airliner World . July 2023 . 288 . 53–61.
  4. Web site: Operator Details - Mack Air. 2009-11-07. Penton Media. 2007.
  5. Web site: About Mac Air . 2016-03-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110825195410/http://www.mackair.co.bw/about_mackair.htm . 2011-08-25 . dead .
  6. Web site: About | MackAir. July 22, 2020. www.mackair.co.bw.
  7. Web site: Botswana's Mack Air Takes Delivery of 10 Cessna Caravan EX's. www.avcom.co.za.
  8. https://www.mackair.co.bw/scheduled/
  9. News: Five injured in aircraft crash. 14 December 2010. Ontebetse. Khonani. January 2010. Botswana Gazette. https://web.archive.org/web/20110711081417/http://gazettebw.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=5029:five-injured-in-aircraft-crash&catid=18:headlines&Itemid=2. 11 July 2011. dead.
  10. Web site: Accident description. 14 December 2010. Aviation Safety Network. January 2010.
  11. Web site: Scheduled Services | MackAir. August 13, 2020. www.mackair.co.bw. 7 February 2022.
  12. Web site: Our Fleet. Mack Air. www.mackair.co.bw. 22 July 2020 . 7 February 2022.