New regional carrier targets freight

With plans to list Zambezi Airlines within the next 36 months, the Zambian regional carrier is going places. Having extended its regional reach with daily flights to Johannesburg from Lusaka, and three flights a week between Johannesburg and Ndola, it will soon start three weekly flights from Lusaka to Dar es Salaam. The airline has leased two new generation Boeing 737 500 aircraft from GECAS. According to chief executive officer Cornwell Muleya, the airline is also keen to grow its airfreight product, which makes logical sense with the arrival of a second aircraft increasing frequencies and providing double daily flights between Lusaka and Johannesburg . Following the demise of Zambian Airlines in January this year, the country has been dependent on South African Airways for all air cargo, and there was no doubt that the airline could not keep up with demand, say the experts. “The launch of our regional flights was a milestone for the country,” Muleya told FTW. The inaugural flight to Johannesburg took off in June this year. “Our vision has been to create a regional carrier that operates according to world class standards, flying passengers and cargo reliably, efficiently and timeously.” He said capacity was expected to pick up significantly in coming months with more flights being introduced as they move forward. “There are a lot of economic benefits to having a strong home-based airline that allows us to set up inter-connecting flights with the rest of Africa. Not only for tourism, but also to bring in cargo to support the economy,” said Muleya. “We already have plans under way to extend what we do in the next six months.” Zambian businesses have welcomed the airline, saying an alternative carrier to SAA is good for business. “It ensures diversity in the market and gives one the option of different rates,” said Wilco Wilkens, financial manager of Parmalat in Lusaka. “Also having more than one airline means there is more capacity.”