This follows agreements signed between Turkish President Recep Edorgan and President Edgar Lungu during the former’s visit to Zambia in July.
Zambian government has assured Turkish Airlines of all necessary support to its operations.
Minister of Transport and Communications Brian Mushimba says government is providing airlines establishing new routes with incentives.
Mr. Mushimba noted that Turkish Airlines’ inaugural flight to Zambia will help the country attain its vision of being the hub of Southern Africa.
He said the direct flights give an opportunity for Zambia to export horticultural products into Europe, enhance trade and tourism while promoting inflow of Foreign Direct Investments.
Mr. Mushimba has since advised the Zambia Tourism Agency to tell the world the truth that the Victoria Falls which is a key tourism attraction is in Zambia.
The Minister said this in a speech read for him by his Permanent Secretary Misheck Lungu at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport after witnessing the arrival of the First Flight.
And Turkish Ambassador to Zambia, Sebnem Incesu said the launch of the flight is a culmination of the support and cordial relations between Presidents of the two countries.
She said Zambia will soon see concrete contributions of the direct flights toward linking it to the west and promoting cultural and tourism of Zambia to Europe.
Meanwhile, Turkish Airlines Vice President for Sales Kerem Sarp said Zambia becomes 55th African destination of the 36 African countries the airline flies to.
He said the airline flies to 309 destinations across the world and will be flying into Zambia twice a week.
Just one more giant competitor to our yet to be reborn Zambia Airways
Scary..
Let’s roll. It looks like Racists and Tribalists are scary! It is UNELECTABLE though!
Stop complaining about Vic Falls not being in Zambia. Why not also market that the Table Mountain is in Zambia and fly tourists there only for a day while all payments are done here …
And those Firetrucks at KKIA are cheaper in price than Lazy Lungu’s $1million horse pipe red trucks
Zambia airways will never take off. If it does it’ll be to the detriment of Zambian funds.
Where is Ethiopia / Zambian Airways? I thought they were the first ones. Europeans are faster than Africans?
Come on !!! What a shame.
Zambia is well positioned to be the hub of Southern Africa because we are centered in the middle Central Southern Africa.
With a new airport about to start at KKA we can attract more tourism destinations.
Competition is good. It lowers fees and price fares. And you are forced to better your services. Else customers go to your competitors.
We are a peaceful nation. So let’s maximise our profile as a nation.
We don’t want politicians who go abroad painting Zambia that it’s in chaos and un-Governed and killing its reputation.
Awe mwe! Sitifuna Iyayi!
Yes, but competition can also run you out of business.
Terrorism
Animo Farm!
The aviation industry in Zambia is poor, people prefer buses, why because the majority can’t afford.
HH industry in Zambia is poor that is why it is UNELECTABLE.
Peace in any nation is a precious commodity for development Zambia should utilise the tranquility of its people to create business in the land for all good investors .
Turkey is renowned for its strong and proven modern architectural education capabilities not forgetting its very versatile textile industry. Am sure most of the UPND zealots, including their Ichilema dont know this fact and may be wondering what the Turkish Airline is doing landing on our soil.
Modern architecture being hot and on demand globally, our brilliant youth can sieze this opportunity to go and study in that country and come back become their own millionaires. All this is the foresight and vision of our hard working President Edgar Chagwa Lungu and those who cant see these opportunities, continue being in denial while we the majority roll and prosper!!!
Don’t think so.more like a transporter of Chinese and Lebanese
@ Malinso,
Please think through the case you are trying to bring forward, are you implying you need Turkish Airline to study Modern architecture? Something wrong here…
Love this! Turkish Airways’ fares are already very competitive. Emirates will be lowering their fares soon.
Way to go, Turkish Airlines!!! Congratulations!!
Good development let’s see how long Turkish Airlines will stay because Zambia is a small market for flying passengers .More competition means thinning market so its hard to see how KKIA will be a hub for the region.
Welcome Turkish airlines to zambia. However with the dollar now looking towards K13 very few will be able to fly.
Luthansa airlines did the same in 2016(stand to be corrected on yeah),their was jubilation from few mediocra citizens few months later, Luthansa canceled the route as it was non profitable.its good for competition, but zambia doesnt have a big market, soon turkish airline will disappear,watch this space
Not profitable.
Not Lufthansa it was KLM and they stopped.
Mwebantu, when is ours landing anywhere kanshi…..coz I see competition already ….Zambian market not too much….they soon will be flying quarter passengers…..those with tuma boutiques in town….the Turkish apparel industry has a sizable market pa Zed…..
..@Malinso says…. “Modern architecture being hot and on demand globally, our brilliant youth can sieze this opportunity to go and study in that country”. I don’t get it – you need a Turkish airline to go to Turkey?
Some points of Correction:
– Turkey is not in Europe. So this Route is not a direct link to EU market.
– This is not a direct flight between Turkey and Zambia. Turkish Airline is stopping-over in Dar es Salaam for 1 hour 20 minutes, then proceeds to Lusaka. No direct flight has scheduled stop-overs.
Nice
Looking at the picture, are those some of the Wheelbarrows being used to cool Turkey Airlines planes?
Turkey can be hot in summer, but I don’t see any firefighting trucks being moved around to cool the planes…..so WTF is happening here?
We are used ukukwela ishishine tukwela lyonse ishachipa ishama somalians. When buses start to come to Zambia I will use it, I can even hike a truck from London to ndola no problem.
we need competition in africa skies Im already using Rwanda air to fly to JHB much cheaper and nicer planes than SAA. hopefully Ethiopian and Turkish provide competition to Emirates