Former Communication and Transport Minister Geoffrey Lungwangwa has advised the Patriotic Front government to seriously come up with clear roadmap on the establishment of a national airline.
Communication, transport, works and supply minister Christopher Yaluma has assured the nation that the country will this year have a national airline.
Professor Lungwangwa says the PF government should realize that having a national airline is not just about declaration.
Speaking to QFM news, Professor Lungwangwa wondered how practical it will be for the country to have a national airline this year when there is no allocation in this year’s national budget.
He states that there are a number of issues that the country first needs to address in its aviation industry such as the country’s blacklisting from the EU.
The former communication and transport minister says it also has to be clearly explained whether the planned airline will be predominantly government or will be a joint partnership with private operators.
I can`t agree more.The move surely needs serious preparations and objectives.It should be above political reasons.
Of course establishing anything takes more that rhetoric and I am sure the govt is alive and up to the task when it come to re-establishing a national carrier.
Its also takes more than just having Boeing or airbus aircraft.
MMD failed in 20 yrs. Lekeni ba PF ba bombeko tumone
@SISI iwe chikkala mmd did not even dare embark on such a futile exercise.its only PF who can because they are myopic.any no fuss about it because this trush is dying with sata
Lungwangwa u are a failure dispite having a PhD in EAP (Education administration0 u faild to lead unza becuase u were planted there by MMD.
Lungwangwa your regime failed to even mention such so please stay former…however you have raised a few points worth brainstorming…now please if you could come back when Rupiah has been cleared we will appreciate
DO YOU WANT THE GVT TO TELL YOU WHAT THERE ARE ARE DOING AT EACH STAGE. WHO ARE YOU? YOU OBJECTED TO THE STADIUM IN MONGU SAYING IT WILL NOT TAKE OFF. WE SAW PREPARATIONS UNDERWAY, YOU OBJECTED TO THE 360 HEALTH CENTERS/HOSPITALS, CONSTRUCTION IS IN PROCESS IN A NUMBER OF PROVINCES. JUST SIT AND WATCH, YOU FAILURES/THIEVES/CORRUPT LEADERS
Former Minister, please stay former.
My princess you seem everywhere! Just seen your posts on UK Zambians!
who caused the blacklisting?
Mr Sata the current president was part of the clique that caused blacklisting by EU on zambian flights. Remember Sata caused British airways U-turn to Zambia when the flight was already out of Zambian air space. Sata was minister without portifolio and typical of him pundering to the public thought was making the British feel his weight. Let him explain before he stops talking what safety and risks his action then potrayed to airline industries. True mere talking to yourselves will never hatch a national air line to fly beyond Mbala.
Zambian Airways of JCN-Mutembo Nchito and Fred Mmembe.
A point worth brian storming good contribution.
We are with you bwana former minister, tell these guys that they should stop dreaming.
We shouldn’t have closed one and have to struggle to start another airline by now, however, no one listens to professionals. My hope is that the country has enough capital to support the venture and adequately qualified man-power to run this industry. The airline industry is not kind to countries ill prepared for such ambitious projects that are not forecast to last the next 30 years or so,but are merely there to line the pockets of a few individuals in authority for a relatively short unproductive political period. At this moment of stiff airline competition,with airlines like Emirates, SAA, BA and others, which market is the local airline targeting? With such a shortfall of middle income earners, the rich will obviously stick to the already established the poor can’t afford, good…
Good luck we wish Zambia the best, we should have been thinking of upgrading the airport infrastructure first than think of an airline at this time!
*****, rot in hell ba mmd, you can go and advice your daughters to ask their boy friends to use condoms son of the pig
No We definitely DONT need a national airline. End of argument.
The days of “national airlines” are over. The costs are too high and I believe Zambia does not have the capacity as a state to support such ventures. Just look across your borders into Africa’s biggest economy, South Africa and see how SAA is bleeding money/losses. Zambia should instead seek to improve our airport infrastructure thus become a hub in the region. This way more airlines will fly into/out of Zambia and govt.
can make money via landing fees, taxes etc which will stem from having a hub. Improve our tourism instead. Having a first class tourist destination will bring all the flights to Zambia which in turn will allow more competition which in turn means cheaper airfares for all.
l agree with you entirely on this one Mike! lt’s not just a matter of having an airline, it has to be functional, profit margins are thin and when losses occur , they are huge in this industry. lt takes at least a minimum of three to five years to start making a profit if we are patient enough. So this airline is it going to be a “start-up or an up start?”
Spot on….why do you need a national airline anyway??
Ba lungwangwa just because you failed, do wish wish the same for pf.mmd had it its chance but screwed up,it was a govt sangwapo no plans for national development that’s why liato was found with that loot.am sure zambian would be proud to hAve an airline they call their own.
Mufola shinga baffikalah imwe kuli kabimba
Please don’t get a loan from DBZ.
DBZ has been hammered before in the name on national airline.
I remember how brutalized and traumatized the Zambia Airways employees were when the MMD decided to liquidate the airline. They were maligned in order to gain sympathy from the population in the final event of liquidation. Now, the same MMD people who are now running the country in the name of PF are PRETENDING that they will do any better. This is disgusting!!! Just continue flying Emirates, SAA, BA, and Ethiopian. M******mwe!
It cost some of us a lot of personal resources getting psychiatric drugs for our relatives when you killed off their employment means while calling them names – as if it wasn’t enough to render them unemployed! Just revive UBZ – I don’t think you should bother about the airline!!! ‘tumpa!
So,we’ve failed to keep Lsk clean,failed to keep UTH in top shape and failed to run zamtel but now we can manage an airline? Do Chad,Mali,Ghana or Tz have airlines? I ask so bcoz failures don’t just fail in one area but they usually are failures accross the board.So it is zambia to examine itself and its work ethic not about studying airline industry.Thats where the problem lies.
Tell this to rented fools like SISI and BIG L
Iwe just because your neighbour doesn’t have a big LCD TV does not mean you shouldn’t buy one.very shallow thinking.
@ Robin, that’s exactly it – having a national airline is nothing more than an ego trip for Zambia just like buying a big TV.
Serious. Zambia has many other priorities and needs to spend money on national airline just like someone barely above poverty needs to spend a fortune on big TV to showoff to their neighbors.
If anyone is “shallow thinking” surely it is you….. and PF.
Kaponyas at work, No plan yet!
If intelligent pipo like nchito and Mmembee ,failed to run Zambian airways, what about.
@Umumbulu, question did they fail to run the airline? or was the cooperation bullied into shutting down? I mean Proflight a South African entity with mear jet props has managed to stay afloat, Mahtani came in and he too got bullied out of the business. I think we as Zambians have to get out of the attitude leaning on past failures and the act of taunting one another it will never take anyone anywhere.
In this century and after helping render independence to South Africa, Mozambique and poor Zimbabwe is it logically sane to accept that these nations can “do” things and we must just point fingers and argue that we are failures/ or can we take our heads out of our behinds put ideas on the table and execute? Because with all this talking and blame game I fear for tomorrow’s generation!
This notion of creating a national airline should be quashed and anybody who so ever raises this idea should be clubbed with traditional Zulu club. There is absolutely no need for us to have a national airline absolutely no reason…do not be cheated by these ill-informed politicians who know nothing about running an airline or airline business the closest they have come to running one is a seat on the Zambian Presidential Challenger. A national airline does not increase tourist numbers it is not as easy as that….please there are other priorities for us as country to tackle and a national airline is not among them.
Wake up people!!
Jay Jay good one!
These failed former MMD should not comment on the national airline. we need Zambia airways now.
Ba proff it seems you are out of touch with what is going on for the following:
1 “address in its aviation industry such as the country’s blacklisting from the EU.” – there was a a visit of an EU delagation late last year to look at this issue
2. The former communication and transport minister says it also has to be clearly explained whether the planned airline will be predominantly government or will be a joint partnership with private operators.” – The Current Minister clearly stated that cabinet will decide on either 100% govt onwership or joint venture with private Operators. It was even stated that negotiations have been held with some Airlines. Please show that you are a proff not a Politician
Firstly, the idea of a “national airline” is history, that model is no longer practicable. However if a new carrier were to be formed, it would be better to focus Lusaka as a regional hub offering connections on a regional basis – similar to Precision Air in Tanzania. Its too late to start competing with the likes of KLM, EK and BA on long routes, better to partner with them instead. A robust regional operation could work – with participation from regional countries that lack connectivity. It is also worth establishing partnerships with the larger African carriers such as Ethiopian in order to benefit from scale. Before all this can be achieved, Zambia needs to be taken off the EU banned list and airports need to be rebuilt!
The issue of having a national airline is good but not a priority at the moment.Like some bloggers have said above the govt should start with upgrade and develop infrastructures at our so called international and local airports.Owning an airline is not easy or simple as running a fleet of 2nd truckers or buses that you buy from the UK,USA & JAPAN. A proper research and wide consultation is required before committing public funds in a loss making business venture.If world class airlines like BA,SAA & KLM depend on govt bailing out for its survival what more of us with third or fourth class aircraft that we will get from our all weather friend China.Zambia Airways failed to tick because FTJ brought his friend a Mr Kaoma from Ndola who was running a fleet of taxis to run an airline company.
Also the company had over employed people than it could afford.Like what happening now when we have more deputy ministers than we can afford to maintain. Govt should give a time frame in which it should come up with the intended national airline.