ALL is set for KLM Royal Dutch Airlines to launch its inaugural flight direct to Lusaka, Zambia tomorrow, May 15th 2012. This is according to a press statement released to the media by Lambwe Kachali, First secretary for Press and Public Relations for the Embassy of Zambia in Brussels, Belgium
According to KLM programme, the Royal Dutch Airlines will serve Zambia three times a week.
Zambian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mr Given Lubinda and his counterpart, Minister of Transport and Communication Mr Yamfwa Mukanga will officiate at the inaugural flight in Amsterdam, Netherlands on Tuesday.
Mr Lubinda and Mr Mukanga are expected to arrive in Amsterdam this morning (Monday) and will hold meetings with top KLM executives in Amstelveen, Netherlands.
Later in the day, Mr Lubinda will depart for The Hague where he is expected to hold bilateral talks with Netherlands Secretary General of the ministry of Foreign Affairs, Mr Ed Kronenburg.
Further meetings will also be held between Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB) Managing Director Felix Chaila and KLM market development manager for Africa and Middle East, Axel Metslaar.
On Tuesday, May 15th 2012, KLM flight will depart Amsterdam at about 12:30 hours and is expected to land at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka at about 22:10 hours. Other days for KLM flight to Lusaka include Thursdays, and Saturdays at 12:30 hours, arriving in Lusaka the same day at 22:10 hrs. The return flight will depart Lusaka at 23:55 hours on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday nights and arrive in Amsterdam at 09:55 hours the next morning.
Zambia is experiencing strong growth, in many economic sectors, which include the vigorous mining industry. Moreover, this new destination for KLM will create a direct link between Zambia’s flourishing flower industry and the Netherlands, which is the largest junction in the worldwide flower industry.
Zambia, which is the home of the might Victoria Falls, offers a wider variety of tourist attractions. So far, Zambia is regarded as the millennium investment destination in Southern Africa.
The establishment of a direct flight between Lusaka and Amsterdam is expected to boost the volumes of trade between the two nations and the Benelux (Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg) region as a whole.
The successful opening of this route is a major triumph for the Zambian mission in Brussels which championed the need for a direct link between the two countries. The mission has since urged Zambians to take advantage of the strong agro-processing technology and skills in the Netherlands and make good use this direct flight link.
KLM becomes the first airline to establish a direct flight from mainland Europe.
Well done KLM and GRZ. We might fly with you in December (DV), although I don’t like the way you made us sleep rough at Nairobi’s JK International airport on Sunday the 6th of May. You did not even provide us food from 16.30 through to 8.50 or thereabout the next day.
nice one, would the fares will be on fair play.
There is great need for us as a nation to upgrade the Lusaka Airport in order to cope with the increase in air traffic. I am sure a few jobs have been created for ground staff. There was a vision to turn Lusaka into a regional hub and the USA govt spent over half a milion dollars for feasibility studies, whatever happened to it!
:) wow!! good to here this. what about australia we need it too please
Good! twanaka nabo ba Heathrow
it’s a Dutch thing. meaning they want to bring homosexuality to Zambia
and pick up ibange for sale in their cafes… LOL
Excellent ! I need to export some weed to Amsterdam. They love the Zambian shi+ there ! Now we have a direct flight??!! Finish ball ………..
hahaha, real funny!
Such GOOD NEWS! No more using ba BA via Heathrow! Tried to get a booking on this inaugural flight, but it’s been “fully booked” for ages! Well done KLM and Zambia.
Corruption. For twenty years someone was very comfortable and pocketing all the money at national expense.Now, after PF, we have an influx, that explains it. More can be done, if someone is really intrested. Give the airport to Richard Branson of Virgin airlines and see it develope.AFRICA HUB.Wake up u guys.
This is good news. Thanks KLM.
Are they abandoning the nairobi route to Lusaka?
Nomba chiteni ko improve KK International please! It is an embarrasment of an ‘International’ airport. Surely we can do better?
Looks like an MMD plane? Why has William Banda left such a strong party which can even own commercial liners? Kekekekekeke
True blue indeed……. You have made my day… God bless
When zunguz start flocking to a place to the point that they even assign a ship for it, know they’ve seen something lucrative. We now have hourly flights between Lusaka and Ndola from 7a.m. to 7 p.m.Â
Ba Lusaka times, what do you mean by “KLM becomes the first airline to establish a direct flight from mainland Europe?’ What about BA which has been flying direct from Heathrow to Zambia for years..isn’t the UK mainland Europe????
Please do not surprise me, are u really in the diaspora for you not to know that UK is an island and therefore not mainland Europe. Mainland Europe are is composed of all the countries that attached to each other in Europe without any separation whatsoever. Spain, Italia, Portugal, Dutch, Luxemburg, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Norway and the like. Thats mainland europe my friend.
Diaspora,
Dont embarras yourself, there’s what is called mainland Europe or if you like Continental Europe, which is different from the United Kingdom, as pointed out to you already.
I have no comment on you Diaspora!!!!!!!!!
This is huge guys. klm has some great rates and considering that they are together with air france, delta and kenya airways, they can afford to beat the competition. only negative is that when you ask for a beer they immediately give you a heinken and not all of us like that beer..
Iwe Diaspora naiwe, read this excerpt from Wikipedia: Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent (particularly by the British, Icelanders and other European island nations), is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands.[1]
The most common definition of continental Europe excludes Cyprus, Iceland, Ireland, Malta and the United Kingdom and its dependencies. Most definitions of Continental Europe extend the boundaries of the continent to its standard boundaries, the Ural Mountains, Ural River, Caspian Sea and the Caucasus Mountains.
Now please lower your fares, KLM is so damn expensive. Thats why am looking forward to the time Turkish Airliner will fly to Lusaka from Istanbul.Â
There is nothing special here. KLM has been landing at Jomo Kenyatta for years now. The problem with Zambia are the airports that are very poor. Look at the toilets at so called KK. Jomo Kenyatta in Kenya and Nyerere in Tanzania are better than KK in Lusaka. My friend (white) from Sweden complained alot when we landed at KK, walking from the plane to the checking in house. I was ashamed. Emirates to Dubai is the best plane also British Airbuses.
By the way, a Turkish company wanted to expand KK airport, how far is the deal? I enjoy myself when I’m at Oliver Tambo Airport. Our KK airport is the worst in the region. Imagine a cargo plane carrying the head of the Train. South Africa is advanced sure.
Sata cancelled the deal!!
What is a “millennium” investment destination? Â This sounds like a nonsensical gobbledgook-speak. Â Did the writer mean “premier” or something? Â A millennium is 1,000 years and I cannot see how the writer came to that conclusion when Zambia has not been in existence for even 50 years!
#17 Wamulomo, were you ashamed because your WHITE friend saw the bad toilets? what if your friend was black? i only ask because you emphasised that. I was in Zed for xmas and to be honest i didnt find the toilets at KK to be that bad maybe it was just the day they cleaned them up. when people talk about bad toilets i guess i assume the old secondary school days when toilets were really really bad….i mean all the corner walls were covered..sorry for the gross.
@ kaufela,
Please don’t just scream on things you don’t know. go check your archives for this news, emirates, Egypt air, turkey airlines and then come comment. Give thanks where it is due, to RB. We can hate him but this is his work.
Just pointing out facts
@San Jose and James thanks for imparting knowledge but you don’t have to abuse @Diaspora? It’s a question which has been posed? We  are all ignorant to a certain degree.  Just answer / explain. Thanks for your clarifications I’m sure many people had asked themselves the question Diaspora paused.
#22 should read Diaspora posed…………………………………………………………………………………….Â
KK int airport requires a major uplift, yes. It’s risk to walk from the waiting room to where the int boud planes park. In fact, there is no time schedule in the waiting rooms.
These guys are also in partnership with Kenyan airlines, i hope there are no gimics at play here…
LT whats with the USA flag??
compared with BA in terms of fares and luggage allowance, KLM is better!!
I hope their prices are realistic unlike british airways asking for £1000 plus for economy class seat. I don’t mind stopping over in amsterdam for a couple days for some blue cheese and white widow before landing in lusaka
great now fixed the airport as u promised its a disgrace as the first port of entry to the country even by african standardsÂ
:d This is great news, all i need to do now is to make sure that i fly to Zambia during winter time over here. KLM have to work on increasing their bargage from 23kg to 45kg for long haul flights to Zambia.
A good deal in a right direction, but our International airport really need a face lift, its so disappointing for people who hear so much about our country Zambia to be well comed by such an air port.Govnt needs to look into this please.
It is not government who should be holding talks with KLM but Zambezi Airlines, who should reciprocate these flights whether it is Emirates, BA, KLM or Turkish. wake up ba government dont reduce yourselves to this level. If Zambezi, cannot be registered in Zambia, because of the inadequacies at DCA, allow Malawi, or Angola, to issue them international registrations and let them begin flying to London, Amsterdam, Dubai and turkey. Mwebantu, support your own, not this crass jelousy we have witnessed in the past. Maurice Jangulo, is a Zambian, period, support him.
That looks like a Boeing and not an air bus to me
#14 (Diaspora). The U.K. is not a part of mainland Europe; last time I checked, it is still an island. KLM is the world’s first commercial airline and the first airline I flew on when I left Africa. That’s several years ago. I just love KLM.
Now the toilets at the airport are clean. What is an eyesore is the arrival and baggage collection area. Our so called international airport leaves much to be desired. It is a disgrace.
RB had a vision to improve the airport although I did not like his 50 yrs contract with the Turkish for them to run the airport. Going out of the airport is not user friendly for the disabled.
good news, my son is booked on the klm flight on tuesday 22nd frm Birmingham u.k.and i will be also using klm flight for future travel to zambia
Thank you pumelo i thought i was getting blind because the toilets were very clean.
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