Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Ethiopian Airlines signs deal to revive Zambia Airways

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Ethiopian Airlines Boeing787 Dreamliner

Ethiopian Airlines has announced that it has finalized shareholders agreement with the Zambian government for the re-launch of Zambia Airways.

In a statement, Ethiopian Airlines said the Government of Zambia will be the majority shareholder with 55% and Ethiopian will have 45% stakes in the airline.

It did not disclose how much it had paid for the stake.

Group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam, “in line with our Vision 2025 multiple hubs strategy in Africa, we are very happy that the discussions with the Zambian government have been crowned with success. The launching of Zambia Airways will enable the travelling public in Zambia and the Southern African region to enjoy greater connectivity options, thereby facilitating the flow of investment, trade and tourism, and contributing to the socio-economic growth of the country and the region.”

He said, “as an indigenous and truly Pan-African airline, we firmly believe that it is only through partnerships among African carriers that the aviation industry of the continent will be able to get its fair share of the African market, currently heavily skewed in favor of non-African airlines, and play its rightful role in availing efficient air connectivity within Africa as well as with the rest of the world.”

The airline is meant to initially serve national and regional destinations before embarking on international flights.

The Government of Zambia will be the majority shareholder with 55% and Ethiopian will hold 45% in the airline.

Ethiopia Airlines is ranked by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) as the largest airline in Africa by revenue and profit, is in talks with a number of airline.
Zambia Airways went into liquidation in 1994.

The privately-owned Zambian Airways then emerged as the country’s main carrier with flights to other major hubs in southern Africa, but it suspended operations in 2009.
Ethiopian Airlines operates and manages Malawi Airlines through a deal signed in 2013.

It also has a deal with ASKY, a West African airline whose shareholders include the ECOWAS regional bloc of countries and a number of banks.

The airline’s revenue rose 10.3 percent to 54.5 billion birr ($2.43 billion) in the 2015/16 fiscal year, while passenger numbers climbed 18 percent to 7.6 million.
Net profit was up 70 percent at 6 billion birr.

Ethiopian Airlines wants to increase revenue to $10 billion by 2025 and to expand its fleet to 140 aircraft from less than 90 now, with its sights set on Asia.

95 COMMENTS

  1. What’s in it for Zambia? Losing money in the name of having a national airline ? Where is the money going to come from to invest in the same airline. Wrong investment trust me.

    • I remember there was a man from luapula some time back, who wanted to make a special zambia airways, which fly only at midnight,,,,
      He should have been given this deal, it was going to be cheaper

    • Ethiopian airline has a great vision. Zambia made a right move to partner with them . If you look at the dates our nkwazi was privatised and the money pocketed in offshore accounts. Then came the nchitos and mmembe who useit’s name in order to milk the money from zda. Now pf govt has revived it as main share holders. If they stick to their word of offloading the shares to the Zambians find a way beating EA at their own game then our economy will atleast have a breather. Am ready to buy 20% of the 55% shares from govt once they open windows to public.

    • @Ndobo, I can tell you name of the guy, I have used that 3 passenger witch-Aircraft, twice is too many. Its too much expen

    • THIS IS THE GREATEST NEWS I AM READING TODAY. I CAN’T EXPRESS MYSELF HOW HAPPY AND GREATIFUL I AM TO THE PF GOVERNMENT FOR REVIVING THE NATIONAL FLAG CARRIER. THIS IS A REAL RIPPLE MULTI-INDUSTRIAL SECTOR DEVELOPMENT. WE ARE NOT ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE TRANSPORT SECTOR. IN FACT THE TRANSPORT SECTOR IN THE LONG RUN WILL NOT BE THE MAJOR WINNER BUT TOURISM, AGRICULTURE, MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES, ZAMBIA’S MODERNISATIONS IF THE GOVERNMENT IS THINKING BEYOND JUST AN AIRLINE, EDUCATION, MINING, ETC. I KNOW- EVEN THOSE AGAINST THE MOVE, IT IS JUST BECAUSE THEY FEEL IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN THEIR POLITICAL BELONGINGS WHO SHOULD HAVE COME TO REVIVE IT IF BY CHANCE THEY CAME INTO POWER. THIS IS GREAT. KAZUNGULA ROAD/RAIL BRIDGE, NEW AIRPORTS, AIRLINE, TOLLGATES, ETC- GREAT. HATS OFF TO PF GOVERNMENT.

    • IF POLITICIANS ARE REALLY THINKING- ZAMBIA CAN BE MADE, NOT ONLY THE AIR TRANSPORT HUB DUE TO IT’S FAVOURABLE GEOGRAPHICAL POSITIONING, BUT ALSO THE AIR TRANSPORT MAINTENCE HUB FOR THE WHOLE OF THE HALF OF AFRICA AND EVEN BEYOND. IT WOULD JUST BE A MATTER OF CONSTRUCTING SUPER MODERN HANGARS IN KABWE OR BETWEEN KABWE AND LUSAKA. AND ALMOST ALL AIRCRAFT IN AFRICA WILL BE FLYING INTO ZAMBIA FOR A TO D CHECKS. DEPENDING ON HOW WE SET THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE QUALITY AND STANDARDS, EVEN EUROPEAN AIRCRAFT WILL BE FLYING INTO ZAMBIA FOR MAINTENANCE. SO, WITH THINKING TECHNOCRATS AND POLITICIANS- THIS IS ONE OF THE NUMEROUS RIPPLE EFFECTS.

    • Malawian Govt is crying foul over the deal they did with Ethiopian Airlines to run Air Malawi.
      The problem is that the DRUNKARD occupying state house makes decisions whilst drunk.
      What a LOSS.

    • TALKING TO CHINA, FRANCE, BRITAIN, OR ETHIOPIA THEMSELVES, ETC, NICELY WE CAN ALSO ESTABLISH/BUILD AIRCRAFT SPARES MANUFACTURING INDUSTRIES AROUND THIS AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE HUB TO FEED THE AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE HUB ITSELF. THIS IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT WHEN I SAY RIPPLE (MANUFACTURING) EFFECT. THE PLANNING OF THESE THINGS SHOULD COME ALMOST IMMEDIATELY THE CONSTRUCTION OF AIRPORTS HAVE FINISHED AND THE AIRLINE RUNNING. THIS IS NOT ROCKET SCIENCE. APART FROM C AND D CHECKS, ALL AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCES (CHECKS THEY CALL THEM IN AIRLINE INDUSTRY), USED TO BE DONE AT LUSAKA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT HANGARS BY HIGHLY TRAINED ZAMBIAN, ETHIOPIAN AND ITALIAN ENGINEERS AND LATER ON FRENCH ENGINEERS AFTER THE ACQUISITION OF THE TWO TR42 AIRCRAFT. C AND D CHECKS WERE DONE IN ITALY AND IRELAND.

    • @1.4 I AM ALSO VERY READY TO BUY SOME OF THE SHARES BECAUSE I KNOW HOW LUCRATIVE THE REVIVED AIRLINE WILL BE. THE OLD AIRLINE WASN’T BECAUSE UNIP DEEPLY POLITICISED IT. ALL ZAMBIANS MUST BE ENCOURAGED TO OWN THIS NEW AIRLINE.

    • A nation without an Airline is like a nation without identity. Therefore, this is a good step in the right direction.

      I only hope the PF government has learned from its past scandals, make no mistake you under a magnifying glass like never before, you squander this opportunity, your PF will be gone forever.
      We are watching you. Overall, I am for the idea and commend the government on this one. EA is known for its high standards, although lately, standards have been falling. However, an alliance with EA is good, make sure you use our 55% share wisely, both in investment and other future decisions.

    • Count me in and I am preparing a number of acquisitions for some of the fleet here in Switzerland. We help GRZ for stock swaps with new aircrafts and then buy new shares once they start floating and we own this new Nkhwazi.

      I just fear the EA will soon find out that former QZ (so sad QZ will no longer be our Code for code-sharing anymore) will be so profitable quickly they may resist selling off their portions of the shares. But we have a solution for that, we start buying shares for EA and the rest will be history.

      Let’s get started ~ steps in the right direction.

    • Airbus A321 very cost effective for regional, CJ900 for national … these are the best jets both here in Zurich with wet leases we can add to the fleet.

      We also have other outlets handling more wet leases in Hong Kong even cheaper overall operational costs for long term leases, but Zurich works out cheaper for short term leases.

      Both have a shorter break even point especially if they have larger cargo bays because the lower part of the aircraft usually runs at half capacity on regional flights and almost empty for local.

      By increasing capacity in the cargo bay, we can increase non-traditional exports to Europe and the Americas and almost guarantee delivery to these destinations as part of the courier service.

      ZamCargo which initially started as a subsidiary running cargo for…

    • Continued …

      ZamCargo which initially started as a subsidiary running cargo for Zambia Airways became very profitable quickly by using just this strategy. For short term wet leases, use the overflow fleet here in Zurich from easyjet.

      For long term leases use the overflow from from Hong Kong from Cathay Pacific. By signing code-sharing agreements with both these entities, a low cost portion of the new Zambia Airways would have access to the entire Europe.

      While through Cathay Pacific, connectivity starts from India and covers the entire Asian Continent down to New Zealand and Australian while America will be served by the current stops at Newark and Washington Dulles.

    • A fool and his money are soon parted…do you see anyone investing in Airline sector today? They are a liability and govts want to get rid of them like fleas…here staggers in the dreamer in the name of B R Mumba and his folly!!

    • A foooool and his money are soon parted…do you see anyone investing in Airline sector today?They are a liability and govts want to get rid of them like fleas…here staggers in the Chief day dreamer in the name of B R Mumba and his delusions !!
      Foools patting each other on the back.

    • We are slowly getting our Zambia bank!!! Instead of the former Lusaka to New York through via Monrovia, now we will have Lusaka to Washington, DC or Newark via Addis Ababa. One stop over and you are across the Atlantic.

      Instead of Lusaka to London via Rome, now we would have Lusaka to Frankfurt, to London Gatwick or Heathrow, or Paris, to Geneva to Rome to Stockholm, to Amsterdam via Addis Ababa. Eventually we will increase our own capacity to direct flight.

      Instead of Lusaka to New Delhi now we can have Lusaka to Shanghai via Addis Ababa and to the rest of Asia via various code-sharing. In other words, we now will be able to fly to literary the rest of the world direct from Lusaka except for Latin America.

      I love what I see … Let’s roll.

    • Abena Maggots AKA Jay Jay … its my money and I spent it the way I want. If I lose it who cares, you did not help me make it in the first place. If I lose it, it does not matter because I know exactly how I made it in the first place and so I can make a thousand time over again.

      I have a printing press and I create money any time I want to so I can as well lose it if I want because come tomorrow I will make some more anyway. In your case as a pharmacist you have to depend on your pay check.

      You make a specific amount a month, I don’t … I can make a million in a day and not make anything tomorrow and then make thousands another day. Leave me alone, I have every right to spend it the way I want and there’s nothing you can do about it

    • And by the way … Abena Maggots1 AKA Jay Jay, Investment Diversification 101 requires certain loses to compensate for revenue to for tax planning purposes. In other words, it is expedient for me to lose for loss making ventures if any to reduce my tax liability to Uncle Sam.

      I would rather make a loss by investing in Zambia Airways if it is loss making entity and offset those losses again paying my taxes to the US Government which really is already so wealthy and would not make full use of my taxable income.

      I would be helping a young enterprise until it is able to stand on its feet, rather than pay taxes in the US that will be used for putting President Trump on Air Force One to another G8 meeting whose purpose is keep poor countries away from the rich man’s world.

      Further…

    • Continued …

      Further still Investment Diversification 101 requires that I make strategic investments only with the money I can afford to lose. So, it is not like I am giving away my golden goose, it is that I am strategic risk taker and no risk no gain, badala!!

      I know this is a very hard concept for you to grasp because you live pay check to pay check and once you get to my level which you should aspire to some day you will fully understand. Right now you are so helpless because there things you would like to do but you have no capacity.

      Your lack of capacity is very evident from your daily posts here … so, one free piece of advice for you is please reduce your time here. Go find other things to do to increase your capacity. Unlike you I post after earning so much money on my…

    • Continued …

      Unlike you I post after earning so much money on my deals on a daily basis. But for you, you come here after meeting all your neighbors in the UK, you don’t like because they think you come from a s.hole and they are doing you a favor to remain there.

      You really don’t like it that you are far way from where you want to be … you want to be part of the action but if you leave the UK, you are not sure if you can maintain your lifestyle. Unlike you I can live any where in the world.

      So blogging is my pass time activity for me while for you blogging helps you vent. That venting is what helps you sleep a little bit peaceful at night knowing that you are doing better than street venders after all.

    • Having said the above though, I would like to believe that our new Nkhwazi will be a prifit making enterprise and I will have a great return on my investment within 10 years.

      Furthermore, our strategic partner Ethiopian Airlines has strategic numbers minions like Jay Jay here has no clue what their significance is all about.

      During my graduate studies in Investment & Financial Management, I learnt a very power secret called the Bid Boy’s Theory.

      It theorize that Big Boys like ExxonMobile, Boeing, Unilver spend so much money in research and development. So, when they have new product offerings that don’t make same, mimic them and you will reap a windfall.

      The most profitable airlines like Emirates and Ehthiopian are increasing capacity in Zambia. It means they have data I don’t…

    • Continued…

      The most profitable airlines like Emirates and Ehthiopian are increasing capacity in Zambia. It means they have data I don’t have that makes them take the risk.

      By investing alongside them, I will reap the same benefits without investing a dime in research and development. I will ride in their backs and acquire the same success … that’s free advise to you bwana Jay Jay.

      Judy like we warned you about privatization 27, years down the road you and wa Zamani here will be tweeting your fingers wishing you bought shares in the new Zambia Airways when they became available.

      Empo mpelele nebo ne mwina Luapula ntondo …

    • Oh please BR Mumba sit yourself down, am not a Pharmacist but I sure know when a patient has missed his medications. Save your make believe drivel for pre-school kids whom you have bribed with candy…I would care less if you pour your copper coins in a pit latrine but I care about how taxpayer money is sent.
      Look at you proposing routes…has anyone told you the routes? you nincompoops think running an airline is like running a minibus at Kaluma Tower where you decide which route to take when you reach the station, you have to buy these slots…really laughable…EA and Ethiopian govt have invested a lot in their airport just like the Kenyans in JKIA so everything has to go to their base, transit passengers have to go there so they send money.
      Wake up!!

    • You can live in NYC, Paris, Cape Town for 50 years but you can not take the fontini out of you ..the Komboni village mentality does not disappear…silly little chap you are BR Mumba Jr.
      Good nite!!

    • Yaba!!! The Little Chap Jay Jay ya mulasa … ati ubu fontini namu Komboni. Emo wa nkulile? That aside, I am sorry about the Pharmacy stuff. I apologize for that all other things remain equal and the same. You don’t make those kinds of decisions so sit back and see us run the new Zambia Airways.

      If you don’t fly Zambia Airways so be it but we would like you to consider flying Zambia next time we are in the air. Concerning routes and destinations? It just shows you have no clue how code-sharing works. One of the major clients of mine is an airline, and I know a lot more than your wrong assumptions above have stipulated.

      Stick to your skills and leave airline ticketing, routing and code-sharing to those with more understanding. It seems like wa ishibishafye ama minibus. Stick to…

    • Keep mourning my friend, your leader pocketed the remains and he us now smiling while you’re busy clapping for him as the richest politician.

    • Kiki @ka spaka investigate who? I didn’t mention any names in my comment how did you pick it? You seem to him very well. Guity minds always jumps to conclusions.

    • @3 YOU DON’T KNOW BECAUSE YOU DON’T READ. THEY PF GOVERNMENT TOLD US THAT THEY HAVE RESERVED USD$30M FOR THE VENTURE AND YOU STILL DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH IS INVOLVED? PART OF THIS MONEY WILL BE FOR THE ACQUISITION OF 4 (IF NOT MISTAKEN) BOEING JETS. EARLIER ON WE READ THAT THEY HAVE ALREADY ACQUIRED 5 SUPER JETS FROM RUSSIA. SO, WHERE DO YOU READ YOUR NEWS? FROM DOGS?

    • @ peter #3.1

      4 jets from Boeing for USD 30 million + 5 jets from Russia = IMBEC!LITY you pseudo-educated moronic jack-ass!!!
      Do you know how much GREEN 737 cost?
      Now I understand why you voted for PF, you believe that the pigs can fly and PF will develop the Country. You are born as MORON, you are living as MORON and you are going to die as OLD SENILE MORON

  2. Ethiopians, thru their airline, keep showing that they are business minded & they are serious about being a success. On the other hand, Zambians with “niva boma attitude” will not go anywhere. Managed in Zambia are always looking for loop holes to loot. Politicians & their appointees are the same. So the question is – where to this airline, with the “looser attitude” of Zambians?

    • How can someone with a “loser’s attitude” sign a deal to launch a project of this size? Learn to seperate the wheat from the chaff, the men from the boys. There are enough Zambians with the integrity, intelligence and energy it takes to manage this project successfully.

  3. Our tax payers money has been used to acquire the 55% majority stake in the airline. The least you can do, if you’re a government with nothing to hide, is to disclose to the funders the commercial terms and conditions regarding this deal. Non disclosure suggests you are hiding something. This kind of secrecy does not sit well in the public eye.

    I also don’t remember this government inviting the public to make submissions before going ahead with the deal. Such high capital investments require buy-in through public participation. This is why many ventures die at incubation leaving the already indebted citizens picking up the pieces.

    Chipimo 2021.

  4. If this airline is to be a success, let Ethiopian airways have the ultimate say on its operations as opposed to the Zambian government. History has shown that we can not trust the Zambian government to let parastatals run independently. The primary means of interference is when the government ends up being the appointing authority of senior management and the board. Let an independent board be put in place with sufficient and credible representation from Zambia and Ethiopian airways with the mandate to appoint the senior management purely on merit and professionalism. Short of that, it will be doomed to fail.

    • 7.1 Then the independence and professionalism of the IDC board and management become critical. Are they appointed on merit by the government? Otherwise what short-comings may exist at IDC by virtual of it being a parastatal will be transferred to the airline.

  5. This will, no doubt, bring pride and dignity to us patriotic Zambians, the tourism industry in particular. If struggling economies like Zimbabwe can sustain their airlines, why not Zambia of all the countries in Africa? This is a great strategic initiative by the government. All well meaning Zambians must support this move, the unpatriotic Zambians are already wishing and predicting its downfall because to them they have conceded a goal and so they will try by all means to shoot it down. This will rekindle my childhood days when I used to go to Ndola international airport to watch Zambia airways aircrafts ascending and descending, it used to be a very entertaining sight. Well done PF government on this one I give you my vote come 2021.

    • iwe Tewolde Gebremariam,… wilabepa, uliwabufi… we have had great connectivity without your airline.
      In 2007 I flew your Ethiopian airline, the fuselage was stinking real hard before take off., I nauseated, I nauseated and nauseated! That was the last, and promised my God never again to use your airline.
      Anyway when it comes to flight fares, you are relatively cheaper, and baggage 75Kg will be good for Zambian ladies in trading business. The 55% stake is lots of our taxes payers money: therefore I advise that parliament select and ratifies the board. We don’t want a minister selecting impefu or rats to run such a parastatal. We would like to see a board of people with proven track records in running strong businesses for example proprietor of Euro Bus Services, King Lewanika, the…

    • @saimbwende, you’ve said it! The worst comments are from natural born pessimists who insist on opposing every business decision government makes in the interest of the country.

  6. Lusaka is hardly a transport or business hub like Jo’burg or Nairobi so where’s the travel market to support this airline coming from.

    • A consideration by organisation when they set up regional offices in Nairobi or Jburg is the connectivity of the city. I think it is not far-fetched that if Lusaka improves its air travel connectivity it will be a consideration for businesses to setup shop…especially for regional/SADC focused businesses that may consider Johannesburg to be too far south.

  7. Zonda uzalema Kainde & your blind followers!!!bravo to PF government.PF is slowly bringing back all Govnt firms which HH&FTJ Chiluba killed during privatization era!!
    This is very good news for mother Zambia!!GO PF GO!!”IT WILL BE SONTA EPOWABOMBA” ONCE MORE IN 2021!!
    We cant wait to fly in our own national airline!!ALL DIE HARD TRIBALISTS IN UPND MUST BE IGNORED 100% BECAUSE THEY KNOW THAT SUCH GOOD NEWS PUSHES THEIR KAINDE FURTHER AWAY FROM STATE HOUSE!!
    Am sure by now,all well meaning Zambians know that PF means business!!THERE IS NO WAY WE CAN CHANGE A WORKING PF GOVNT IN 2021!since 2011,PF has done wonders!!!Please ECL bring back ZCBC,Spark,Lenco,Lima bank,Mulungushi bananas,UBZ,etc which Kainde and his team sold for a song,hence creating worse unemployment in Zambia!!MORE JOBS…

  8. “…..as an indigenous and truly Pan-African airline, we firmly believe that it is only through partnerships among African carriers that the aviation industry of the continent will be able to get its fair share of the African market, …”

    Well said , I am beginning to believe in this venture for zambia…..seeing the epertise the ethopians bring and the landing and airspace rights GRZ brings….

    • Airspace and landing rights? That translates in less competition for them at least now you have a choice…there is no need for this pointless venture by these crooks.

    • Most big airlines stopped comming to Zambia because of high landing rights and high cost of air fuel charged by corrupt ministers …….the etjopians have been in this busniess for too long to be ripped off by corrupt ministers with high costs…..also i don’t think this venture translates into a monopoly

    • That type of 1960s thinking is the reason why we pay over the top just for a regional flight to Nairobi because no one wants to open up their airspace or reduce these rip off airport charges even though an agreement was signed 20+ years ago. You seriously think that EA would make KKIA the central hub at the expense of their H/q in Addis.. really laughable …where is the cash they have put on the table? This is a sheer waste of taxpayers money…

    • They bring all the expertise….they will be running that airline…them Ethiopians and no reason why Zambia can not become the hub of southern and central Africa..

      I believe with the comming of this airline you will see fees drop as Zambia airways will not compete ripping off customers and will have cheaper tickets seeing they have home advantage but being a member of the world’s air association ,all other airlines will have to be treated the same as regards to landing charges..

    • What do you base your belief on? Wishful thoughts …have you seen the business plan? Has PF govt proposed any plans to reduce fees? You have absolutely no idea what you are talking about or have an inclining how the sector works.

    • JJ

      You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to know that Ethiopian airlines should not waiste their time if they thought Zambia had no potential for airline profit…they know better than you will ever know about the airline bussiness.

      And 55% shares for GRZ does not mean a loss if you partner with the best in Africa..

  9. Win – Win for EA as they have a fresh injection of cash…dull Zambians would have simply reduced tax on A1 Jet fuel instead of pouring $30 million in another entity. I wonder what other deals EA has signed under the table to have monopoly over other carriers at KKIA.
    Lazy fooolish corrupt dull Edgar Lungu!!

    • @jj can you translate what youve said in tonga maybe your comment will make some sense to your friends like spakalinyo.

  10. So what is the deal? And when do flights start? Where will they be going? How much will they cost for customers? Any actual information here

  11. Good news we need now need direct flights between Lusaka and London, been none since BA stopped few years ago and our very own service ceased 23 years ago. So cumbersome spending almost 24hrs door to door going home via indirect flights from London to Lusaka all inclusive; travelling time to airport, check in time, flying time, transit time, screening process between airports, arrival in Lusaka, baggage collection, shuttle from airport to point in Lusaka completely exhausted all for the hate of having own airline. Journey that should at the most take 10hrs. We had direct flights even before Independence, ain’t we supposed to be more advanced now?

  12. Deal is signed, now let’s get down to business!

    This is what Hon. Marcus Mosiah Garvey preached about and practiced during his times. It is called “Self Reliance” and “Ruling your destiny”. The African economy can only be truly empowered by Africans themselves when they incorporate with each other and take control of their business endeavours.

    I would encourage you all to start your own business, either as an individual entrepreneur, or collectively with a group. Don’t be afraid to dream big and start small!

  13. When Hon. Garvey launched the Black Star Line to repartriate Black people to Africa and enable them to exchange goods and services, he was ridiculed and laughed at by a number of black people.

    When the company was established in the early 1920s and became economically independent, the same people came to seek employment from him.

    It wouldn’t be a surprise to find a lot of those criticising this embarkment turn into job seekers at Zambia Airways.

  14. I am glad a Tomato seller shall never be president in Zambia! He wants to sell tomatoes – Oh sorry – his country! Even those outside know who is selling tomatoes in Zambia! He reports to them like a kindergarten child about “violations” in his country and they know he is selling! So they give him a paper of “recognition” and he goes smiling while they think, “Africans!” “African boy! Selling!”

  15. Finally Zambia have the airline.Our children will see a Zambia airways aircraft not always SAA or BA.step in the right direction for our economy to grow.

    • SAA loses money hand over fist and BA pulled out as they lost money on the route.
      the Zambian airline will fly from Lusaka to Addas and from Livingstone to Joburg then you switch planes to the rest of the world on Ethiopian airlines, just like it’s done in Malawi check their flights….

  16. Am told Grandview International will supply the planes that are custom designed for the Zambian airspace which is ‘bumpy’.

  17. @maloza #1.9 and HaJayJay #1.11! You are right! That is how people from your stronghold think! Thank you for representing them very well! We are not scared of them! We will vote for them!

  18. Lungu and his PF thugs, think cholera has disappeared and it is back to business as usual. Instead of investing in the sanitation infrastructure which is a priority now, they are investing in a bottomless pit called Zambia Airways, which is dead on arrival.

  19. The idea sounds ok but we need to be assured of the quality and reliability of aircraft yet to be purchased and accountability of the whole business venture because Zambia has well and truly lagged behind in the aviation industry…

  20. it would have been better for the Ethiopians to have 25% than giving them 45 %; this is the result of having unqualified people doing deals; Hope the deal will be revised in future; for now I welcome the reintroduction of the airline which really should be called Ethiopia Zambia Airways like Tazara; it is better to have a half owned airline than have nothing;

  21. Wow, how many airline industry “experts” are on this blog. And yet, GRZ cannot manage railway monopoly. After USD 300 was allocated, what has been achieved?
    As to Ethiopian Airline as “strategic” partner, well in so far their association with Air Tanzania ended with Tanzanian Government paying USD14 million in lease fees and ending without fully operational airline for two decades!!!
    Strangely, no mention of what assets are going to be “acquired”. Neither there is mention of how much money will ET contribute towards theirs 45%!?! It appears that, as usual, ET will “contribute” one or two of theirs last century obsolete 737’s or 50,000+ cycles 767’s which currently ET leases in 100% white “neutral” livery to AU/UN operations in the Horn of Africa.

  22. IT IS VERY SAD. THE WAY SOME ZAMBIANS TALK ABOUT THEIR COUNTRY. EVEN IF YOU LIVE IN USA, YOU ARE BLACK, AFRICAN AND ZAMBIAN. TRUMP HAS ALREADY STARTED LOOKING AT YOU AS INFERIOR. ISRAEL CONSIDERS YOU AS DOGS. AND YOU ARE THERE DISPARAGING YOUR OWN COUNTRY. WHAT A SHAME. BE PROUD OF YOUR COUNTRY, DEFEND YOU COUNTRY. YES WE MAY HAVE CHOLERA, BUT THIS IS OUR HOME. WE MAY BE POOR, BUT THIS IS OUR HOME, WE MAY HAVE CORRUPT LEADERS, BUT THIS IS OUR HOME. THE STREETS MAY BE FILTHY, BUT THIS IS YOUR HOME. THE WORLD IS LAUGHING AT US BECAUSE WE DESPISE OUR HOME AND PRAISE FOREIGN LANDS. WHAT A SHAME.

  23. @33 or Chisenga; We’re all proud of our country but not proud of the way PF has mismanaged out country; even RB did better; for this deal some of us do support PF for plans to relaunch Zambia Airways; but not fully happy with the giving of EA 45%; still it is better than having nothing;

  24. They involved Ethiopia due to the fact that on their own they cannot manage to run an airline. The only reason the upcoming airline may be a success will be due to the involvement of Ethiopia.

  25. I travel by air around the world 20-25 times a year. The most depressing worst flights I make are on Ethiopian Airlines. I can’t believe that we have become so desperate that the only investment we can attract is from Ethiopian Government. How sad. For those who don’t know the airline industry, this may look and sound like a great deal. I can assure you only ET will benefit as they monopolies all flights to all destinations around the world via Addis Ababa, at an airport with similar toilet facilities as a township bar. How could we not attract top airlines such as Delta Airlines who would have been wilking to get a foothold in Africa or British Airways? Or a top class Asian carrier like Singapore Airlines? Have we sank so low and become this mediocre as a country that we have no…

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