Thursday, March 28, 2024

Ethiopian Airlines is considering turning Lusaka into its East and Southern Africa hub

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THE two fire engines at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport spilling water over the Ethiopian Airlines aircraft in a picturesque arc of mist that glowed in bright sunshine during the inaugural flight to Ndola
THE two fire engines at Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport
spilling water over the Ethiopian Airlines aircraft in a picturesque
arc of mist that glowed in bright sunshine during the inaugural flight
to Ndola

ETHIOPIAN Airlines is considering turning Lusaka into its East and Southern Africa hub. Company Senior Vice President for Global Sales Esaya Woldemariam Hailu said the Lusaka was chosen as the hub because of its central location.

Mr Hailu said the airline had engaged the Zambian Government on its overtures and that talks were at an advanced stage.

“That’s a big plan that Ethiopian has been discussing with the top leadership in Zambia,” he said during a briefing at the airlines main hub here.

Lusaka will become Ethiopian Airline’s third hub on the continent after the main hun Addis Ababa and Lome in Togo.

Mr Hailu said the airline was the fastest growing in Africa and that the growth should be reflected in creating another hub.

“Ethiopian doesn’t only connect Africa to the world and the world to Africa but also connects Africa within itself,” he added.

Meanwhile, the airline is weighing options of opening a new route from Addis Ababa-Livingstone to add to flights to Lusaka and Ndola.

Administrative manager for East and Southern Africa Shawui Geneti said opening a direct flight to Livingstone would however depend on the availability of passengers on the route.

“Already we have the new route to Ndola which at the moment is not doing very well but Livingstone is a route we will consider,” he said.

Livingstone has recorded a sharp increase in passenger traffic to Harry Mwanga Nkumbula airport and more arrivals are expected when Zambia co-hosts the United Nations World Tourism Orgnisation (UNWTO) general assembly later this year.

On increasing the frequency of flights into Ndola, Mr Geneti said it is an option worth trying out but most unlikely with the current passenger turn over on the route.

Some of the travel consultants visiting the airline’s Addis hub from the Copperbelt and Lusaka complained of the difficulty in issuing tickets for some Ethiopian Airlines code partners.

8 COMMENTS

  1. And our PF gov’t is busy thinking of myopic outdated ideas of creating a national airline so that next time the president goes on a state visit he can use it…costly misplaced nationalistic pride indeed. Yet the solution is staring at us right in our face like a red rug to bull; upgrade and expand airport infrastructure and let the private sector do the rest like what Kenya , Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines et al are doing. Airports such as Liverpool, Stansted, Manchester Airports are a success today because of the private sector even though British airways does not fly there.
    Wake people!!

  2. I will be using a 787 boeing to Ndola next week and I hear this plane that was grounded worldwide on safety issues is now allowed and quickly by Ethiopian Airline. Can the company in Zambia assure us of the safety of this plane and explain to us what measures taken to improve the safety.

    • All the 50 B787 available in the entire world were grounded following the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), US, decision due to battery problem as reported from Airlines from Japan. Now, the manufacturer of the aircraft (Boeing) has come up with the solution for the reported battery problem. FAA has tested and accepted the solution and has given clearance for all the grounded aircraft. Why you need assurance from compay from Zambia while every bit of information is available through the media about the entire issue whereby the Japan authorities have also accepted the remedy. With all that; however, no body will undermine if authorities from Zambia wanted to go through other testing; provided you have all the expertise of couse.

  3. Either Ethiopian airlines co-runs the national airline or it will be difficult to get it off the ground. Being a successful airline (THE most successful on the continent) you are literally swamping any startups of your QZ chapter 2… Good luck.

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