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Zambezi Airlines to resume operations on June 17

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Zambezi Airlines Boeing 737-500 aircraft

Zambezi Airlines will resume operations on their regional flights on Sunday, June 17, 2012.

Zambezi Airline’s Country manager for South Africa Michael Mujajati said the Airline had learnt its lesson and would do its utmost best to stay on the market.He said the company had resolved all the safety issues which were raised by Zambia Civil Aviation Authority.

Mujajati said the first flight will depart South Africa’s Oliver Tambo International Airport for Lusaka at 15:00 hours; and the same plane would depart for Harare, Zimbabwe on Tuesday at 07:00 hours and connect to Dar es Salaam at 10:00 hours.

He said Zambezi Airlines will initially begin their operations with one plane, a CR J 200, sourced from South African Express, with two backup planes.Mujajati said maintenance works for the aircraft would be done by South Africa Express at Oliver Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg.

“We feel happy that finally we are back. We have learnt our lessons where we went wrong. We need to make sure we are now back to stay. It’s a 50-seater plane we shall be using being that the plane is cost efficient in terms of fuel,” Mujajati said.

“We shall be using a 50-seater plane so that our load factor is 40 passengers. Those days we were carrying 90 passengers, but now we want to start small considering that we might have lost half of our market after the suspension.”

Mujajati said the Airline will start operations with market penetrating fares of US$190 on a one-way flight between Johannesburg and Lusaka and US$443 for a return ticket on the same route.

He said a one-way ticket from Johannesburg to Ndola would cost US$200 with the return one costing US$468.

Mujajati said there were also plans to fly tourists directly into Livingstone during United Nations World Tourism Organization General Assembly (UN-WTO) which will be co-hosted by Zambia and Zimbabwe in August next year.

43 COMMENTS

  1. Congrats! but i have a big question mark on Bombardier Jets. 5 incidents/accidents in barely 15 months is worrying!!!

  2. Now this is news worth a headline news. NOT these UPND cadre issues! day in and day out. Cadre issue are repulsive

  3. This is good news but Fred M’membe will be disappointed in Sata. He wanted to see Zambezi airline dead with the hope of bring back his defunct airline. 

  4. This is good news.  I actually saw the plane in the SA Express hunger at Oliver Tambo International Airport being painted and worked on.  I wondered because it has a green label on it saying Chipolopolo and i asked myself why the plane was there and why it was being painted.
    Very good news and I really hope they have learnt their lesson.

  5. Great, but learn to keep time. You have a reputation for delayed flights, infact Departure staff at ORT know you for this.Your pilots should also learn to offer apologies for the delays!!

  6. Anywhere else the directors of this airline would be sweating in the dock and facing charges of gross negligence and I can guarantee you that those Zambezi wings would have never seen the light of day, then again this is Zambia.

    The problem we have in Zambia is that these Airline shareholders assume the industry is liken to running a bus from Lusaka intercity where you start getting your return on investment in the first 6 months if your drivers are trustworthy. The airline industry is a very high expenditure industry which requires deep pockets, patience, robust business model…the likes South-west and Ryan Air shareholders had to wait 10+ years to get tangible return of their investments. Today they are most successful low-cost airlines in the US and Europe respectively.

  7. If you want be a game changer in this sector you have to recognize that success is not just about thinking differently from your competitors BUT it’s also about caring more than others – about customers, about employees, about how your organization conducts itself in the world with all the endless opportunities and temptations to cut corners and compromise on value.

  8. Atleast there is some good news,Well done Dr Jangulo,its not easy fighting a certain envious clique from a certain region considering that they are using taxpayers resources for their shadow boxing.

  9. I know Airport tax and Jet fuel is hideously high in Africa BUT $440+ for a return ticket to Joburg, that’s the same as a return from Heathrow to Gambia or Heathrow to New York. You would tour all of Europe’s major cities via low cost airlines with that amount and have change for couple of pints and a hearty breakfast.The industry definitely needs a game changer especially in Zambia!!!

  10. CONGRATS MMEMBE, E BWAUME UBU, PANO PA CALO KUKOSA KA

    NOW, SAFETY FIRST, LOOK WHAT HAPPENED IN NIGERIA, NO FAKE PLANES AND POOR MAINTENANCE WORKS

    ANY MISTAKES, UKWA WILL BARN YOU FOR LIFE !

  11. Journalism! I don’t remember copying this statement to Lusaka Times. Anyway it’s good people have been informed

  12. Strange pricing.

    In UK a return tickets cost less than two single tickets whatever the mode of transport – coach, flight, trains.

  13. You guys just don’t get it do you … 
    Step back and look at the big picture . Zambezi Airlines is back , and back for one reason …. Soon and very soon you will hear that Zambezi is to be the National Airline , with GRZ owning 51% .. Infact don’t be surprised down the road if you learn that Fred and Nchito , we’re instrumental in bringing back , Zambezi . And that they now have shares in the Airline … Back door politics . 
    Like a magician , he makes you Concentrate what’s in his left hand , while the real deal is being done in the right hand … 
    Smart chaps , well done .

  14. What a beginning with wrong calculations!. A return at US$443 and one way US$190. Why not just buy two one way tickets and you are home and dry. You save US$63. Anyway my thinking maybe these guys have rationale behind their seemingly poor calculations. I end here!

  15. good news but a shame our own local airlines aren’t supported by GRZ zambezi was never great and needed the adjustment bt. they were a proudly Zambian product and are basically starting from the beginning again 

  16. So what has happened to the fleet of Boeing 737-500s in the photo? Why not do away with the Zambezi Brand and just launch a all new airline all together??

  17. Its hard ,but not impossible, for an airline industry to thrive in zed because its hardly an economic hub,has a small population and has prohibitive jet fuel prices due to being landlocked.Zambezi airlines is up against the European giant carriers plus the three large established african carriers but with such high ticket prices i don’t see zambezi being competitive.

  18. Good news . Work on safety issues every day. Leave on time & give good service. We will support you if you will attend to these issues. Let Mmembe and Nchito pay their debt and then they can restart their airline.

  19. Apart from the safety issues i hope Zambezi Airlines has also bothered to train its INCOMPETENT Sales and Ticketing Staff. After my experiences last year with this airline, i do hope they improve otherwise their market share lost during their suspension will probably not be gotten back. Anyhow, good luck and welcome back!!

  20. Great NEWS!
    Maurice and whoever else is with you please know that the travelling public will support anything Zambian AND GOOD!
    We were lucky enough to have an indigenous airline, lets do it again and better with hind sight.
    Congrats and God Speed

  21. zambia airways was a conduit for drug trafficking and smuggling by employees, hopefully that culture does not continue with this new airline.President Sata was advocating for a national airline the other day,i fear that this will bring our country into disrepute.Because the propensity for easy money, albeit risky is still very much a culture defect.

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