Zambia Airways has announced 30th September 2021 as the date for operationalization of the national airline.
In August 2018, the Industrial Development Corporation Limited (IDC) and Ethiopian Airlines Group entered into a joint venture establishing Zambia Airways limited to operate as a national airline in Zambia and in the joint venture, IDC owns 55% while Ethiopian Airlines has 45% of the shareholding.
In announcing the launch date, Zambia Airways Board Chairman Mr Bonaventure Mutale said management successfully achieved all milestones needed to operationalize the National Carrier and would therefore operationalize the airline on 30th September 2021.
Mr Mutale said the airline would commence operations with domestic routes to Livingstone, Ndola and Solwezi, with regional routes to Johannesburg and Harare.
He added that the airline would commence with the initial three aircrafts namely two Bombardier Q400s and one Boeing 737-800).
“Zambia Airways will take advantage of the new state of the art airport infrastructure at the new Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola and Terminal 2, at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport to establish its base in Lusaka and contribute positively to the growth of civil aviation and tourism in Zambia,” he said.
Mr Mutale said the airline was anticipating the COVID-19 pandemic being experienced in the country and in the region would improve, thereby boosting demand for travel.
And IDC Group Chief Executive Officer Mateyo Kaluba says the operationalization of the national carrier will play a catalytic role in reviving the tourism industry which has been negatively impacted by the Covid-19 global pandemic.
Mr Kaluba commended the Zambia Airways Board for announcing 30th September 2021 as the date for commercial operationalization of the National Carrier.
Mr. Kaluba further commended the Board, Management and staff of Zambia Airways on the attainment of the key milestone and for the professional manner in which they have managed the fulfillment of regulatory requirements that were a pre-requisite to the launch date of the National carrier.
Mr. Kaluba reiterated the Shareholders quest to ensure that the Airline operates as a commercial enterprise so as to achieve viability and return on investment.
“I strongly urge the Board and management to manage the airline in accordance with international best practice. They have the responsibility to make Zambia Airways an airline that will bring pride and jobs to the Zambian people,” he said.
Mr. Kaluba was confident Zambia Airways would soar to greater heights as it leverages on the newly commissioned Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka and Simon Mwansa Kapwepewe Airport in Ndola.
So far, Zambia Airways has trained 25 Zambian cabin crew at the Ethiopian Aviation Academy and has recruited five Zambian flying pilots, who will leaving today for Ethiopia to receive additional training.
Gotta be a solution to this pollution
New airport & launching Zambian airways..Good as both maybe have been littered with heavy corruption plus huge impact on the fiscus while majority of Zambians will go hungry carrying the burden of these projects to be enjoyed only by Lungu & his few PF cadres who are the only filthy rich cats in Zambia. We won’t be blinded, you are still going on Thursday. We have already made up our minds. Even if you build a spaceship, you are gone!!
Most national flag carriers are loss makers: South African airways, Namibia airways etc are all deep in the red. But it must be said, the cooperation with Ethiopian is probably a good move – together with Kenyan only Ethiopian are the only ones on this continent making any money. And Ethiopian would probably pull out straight away when it wouldn’t be profitable. The biggest danger is CORRUPTION, when you will see that a flight is delayed when some government body is running late and they hold up the plane just for him! If that happens, there is no hope.
They have started making noise again these reckless morons…meanwhile Directors are getting paid. I have said enough on this topic…a sensible person would used covid-19 and shelved this nonsense and got back some of that $30m from EA that useless man Brian wasted.
*….used covid-19 as an excuse …
Technocrats prove yourselves. Professionalism leads to efficient and profit company. Zambia Airways is phoenix. Zambia Airways is a dream come true. London is still yet to come. What about Nairobi. What about Lubumbashi. What about Kigali. Asking for one more touch down and take off is surly not asking for too much.
Good luck ,Zambia Airways. Just sbout every investment analyst I know says that the aviation industry is a bitch.
Zambia Airways will be a white elephant ,that’s for sure .
Most airlines are struggling what will make Zambian Airways successful in this environment? Will locals afford the fares?
PF is sweating muma armpits….a million projects 2 weeks before elections…….looks like they’re sensing danger….HH is really giving them a run for their money…..and sleepless nights….Lungu is not sleeping…all his ministers are not sleeping….all his appointed Judges are not sleeping…HH will come and appoint his own Judges
….zambia airways resumes….. for 3 months like everything else!!!!!
So what happened to the Russian aircrafts they told us they had secured. These guys lie so much it makes your head spin.
Hip hip hooray! Don’t let anyone tell you that you cannot do it just because they have low self esteem and failed to do it themselves. A comeback is always stronger than a setback. Anso this time around ZA is here to stay.. we’re rotating all tyres to keep the machines running and running and running… oooh!
Ghikala chobe, how long have heard of those dates about Zambian ponyo
-ponyo??
2 days more, PF is out bwana.
Speaking as a professional.all those guys in the board are businessmen and are not engineers.from this background I dare say this is not intelligent.you pick to start with a 737-800 which has an operation cost of 6000 USD an hour. Wisdom would have opted for an Airbus A320 with running costs of 4000usd an hour.it has larger capacity;better flight range and a far far superior safety record.but I don’t blame you.Your are not smart enough to take such things into considerations as long as you have something in the skies.
I hope the incoming government comes to make corrective measures
THEY ARE JUST A LOT OF JOKERS, WHY LEAVE OUT ROUTES SUCH AS DAR, LUBUMBASHI, NAIROBI, KIGALI, MONGU, MFUWE, MANSA, MONGU, GABORONE JUST TO MENTION A FEW. THEY CAN’ T LET PROFLIGHT AND OTHER PRIVATE AIRLINES WHICH HAVE BEEN OPERATING TO CONTINUE DOING SO? THIS PROJECT IS BOUND TO FAIL.
Dr. Makasa Kasonde (Private Citizen) – what did we tell you 3-4 years ago? Really laughable
Going where? There is the pandemic to deal with by the way!
It won’t happen believe me! What money are they going to use? Borrowing yet again? Can’t even afford to pay teachers, nurses, civil servants etc. Are they mad or drunk? Zambia airways is history leave it there
Say all you like about a national carrier but bear in mind that if “nationals” will not be able to afford the fares in droves it is a useless investment and expect mostly government sponsored users on the local front! Times have changed and national airlines are all sick! Ethiopian Airlines does not claim to be making profits and the grounding of SAA may have added a few more dollars in its kitty but definitely not healthy gains! Once East African Airways was afloat and made a lot of sense however political problems clipped its operations. This Zambia Airways is a very bad dream! Where are the expected travelers coming from?
This govt. trying to raise it’s ‘profile’ in the last moments. Left everything to be ‘commissioned’ just before the elections. You couldn’t run ututemba while you were in power and in your last days you dream of running an airline.
August 12 2021 must be used wisely. Epo mpelele…
Monarch and Proflight will have to up the game.
Charles Ngoma @23, is there enough room for so many airlines in Zambia? Surely there’s not.