South African Airways (SAA) Country Manager Vincent Mupwaya said air traffic in Zambia has continued to grow with SAA recording 14 percent growth compared to 9 percent recorded last year.
Mr. Mupwaya said the airline has also established a K2 billion lounge at the Lusaka International Airport as a way of improving service delivery.
He said the lounge has also created a number of employment opportunities for Zambian citizens.
He commended the travel agents for their contribution to the growth of South African Airways.
Meanwhile Government has commended Travel agents for complimenting the Zambia Tourist Board (ZTB) in marketing Zambia as a tourist destination abroad.
Speaking during the South African Airways annual travel agents awards ceremony in Lusaka today, Tourism, Environment and Natural Resources Deputy Minister Todd Chilembo said although ZTB focuses on generic marketing, travel agents focus on specific product marketing.
Mr. Chilembo said the successes scored by ZTB and travel agents are as a result of good public-private sector partnership and good government’s policies.
He said due to the contribution of South African Airways and its agents, Zambia last year registered about 897, 413 tourist arrivals which means the one million target will be surpassed by 2010.
He noted that government appreciates the significant contribution that South African Airways has achieved in promoting tourism growth in the Zambia and the region.
He urged the travel agents to spread to other active districts and provincial centers outside Lusaka and the Copperbelt province which may still require their services.
Among the travel agents that received awards included, Zambia Safari Company, John’s Travel, Silverline Travel and Strutts travel.
This is good but our airport is delapidated. Whe is the new and modern Terminal going to be built ? Please Minister of Transport and NAC respond
The airport can still do. What we need is our own national airline to cater for overseas/regional flights to/from Zambia and not help boost SAA’s profits. We’re tired of flying en route with foreign airlines.
ba lesa give zambia time, even USA AND UK have just in the recent past modernised theirs too, people when they travel out of zambia they think those countries have always been as the look now, it took peoples sacrifices not the useless zambians outside who cant even sacrifice for there countries there aim is personal glory one useless example is the so called prof Chirwa.
NAC report shows that with the growing number of inflights they are unable to hundle traffic because they have one run way and yet they have aver 100 hectors of land
Such a dilapidated airport for 2011 All Africa Games! It will be an embarrassment!
Uwafya wabena Zed mwalipata success,umunenu abe Proffessor in an English university mulesusha ati ni lecturer ku China.Thus why we cannot develop nafi attitude fyama Jealous,mulekeni Professor Chirwa he is a pride of Zed.Its not easy to achieve that in England mwilaibepa.Its true we do not have anything of an Airport right now and we need to work on it,it starts with accepting the problem.
Chachine air traffic pa zed na ifula. Indoshi shile crasha sana shino shinku.
we heading somewere ,sad we sold ours.
Over the past two years NAC hasbeen making tripple profits, but ask them how much of that has gone and still being planned for infrastructure development. If we had a good airport all flights that go to south before going to Europe would have been passing through Zambia because we are in the centre and therefore a good flight distributor. But they dont see all this. Right now many airlines that were going to Zimbabwe have stopped. but many cant come to Zambia because they have big planes that are only suitable for airports like the one in Harare and we only have one run way.
When you just touch down on LSK international airport you see a colonial building. LSK airport is not fit for purpose and to be called international airport. Let private individuals run and build a modern airport.
I saw a picture of our long gone Zambia Airways on the net and i felt really good. You know that sense of pride compared only to the feeling you get when you’re abroad say in a white city and then you meet a Zambian
Very Ironic picture………….
Let us have a new Zambia Airways incarnate as Zambian Airways and let us have a modern airport “Copperbet International Airport” centrally located to carter for all CB towns and cities connected with free ways.
It is time our banking institutions reduced there interest rates so as to enable emerging ZAMBIAN owned airlines like Zambian Airways and Zambian Skyways to borrow money and buy Jambo jets. Also banking institutions need to lower there interest rates so as to also enable Proflight to extend its services from Charter flights to more commercial flights.
It is good to know that Air traffic is increasing but without these Zambian companies (Zambian airways, Zambian Skyways, Proflight) taking part in it, it is useless. Look at what happened to Aero Zambia. Nice airline and was flying to all over Africa. I wonder what ever happened to Aero Zambia.
Anywayz, we cannot cling to the past forever…
We have to move with time and this time we have Zamnbian Airways, Zambian Skyways and Proflight and we must concentrate on these private companies so they can extend there services. Zambian airways started with domestic flights and now it is flying to Joburg and Dar es salaam. It is only a matter of time till it starts hitting Heathrow Airport but to do that, it requires support from all Zambians.
Proflight and Zambia Skyways are currently on charter flights. Who knows what the future holds.
It is just too bad Zambians in South Africa are too proud to fly Zambian. They prefer SAA.
You know a komboni ka? Now imagine a village having a komboni – that’s Lusaka International Airport.
….WHATS THE PURPOSE OF STICKING TO A BUSINESS THAT IS ALWAYS RUNNING INTO LOSES AND NEEDS GOVERNMENTS HELP TO KEEP EXISTING EVERY YEAR END AT THE MARCY OF TAX PAYERS MONEY AND ULTIMATELY SABOTAGING OTHER AIRLINES WITH THEIR EXTREMELY UNCOMPETITIVE FARES ESPECIALLY WITH THE EVER INCREASING OIL PRICES. SAA NEEDS R3 BILLION JUST TO OFFSET LOSES AND THE RECKON THIS IS THE LAST…..I DON’T THINK SO!!
Elect a guy with a technical vision for Zambia rather than the current corrupters of the nation. We are tired of individuals who use public office to propagate policies that make Zambians poorer and call imperialist nations their partners!!!
SAA has made loses due to its expansion plans. They have budgeted a huge sum of money to re-equip their airline. In addition, the huge fuel bill has hit all airlines world-wide. Nothing to do with ownership issues. Who says that private airlines are awash with profits? We need Zambia Airways to be born so that we can become what we want to be.. a winning nation.
There is nothing wrong if the people of a country are able to direct resources via a government to a national airline so that the citizens can afford to travel anywhere they want in pursuit of business and pleasure. This is how SAA lives. This is also what is known as civilization. People coming together, collectively setting up institutions so that the cost to each one of them is very minute as they have shared the load and are all able to enjoy the fruits of the products of these institutions. If each citizen went out on their own to achieve what the larger body can do, we would be like Zambia..stagnant since none of us can afford the power of the collective.
Imagine we have a very aggressive GRZ plan to own a national carrier.GRZ buys stake like 35% of Zambian Airways, this will pump alot of money in the airline, so as to facilitate expansion.They would buy more jets, employ more pipo, open more branches or offices and go global in flying.GRZ starting a new airline is out of their reach by now.But buying stake would bring the much needed capital for expansion and we would be proudly owning a national carrier.We are the only country I know without one.
… you people like free handouts and I believe #19 you are working for the Government. I agree with #20 Miyoba though. Just don’t have a national Airline that relays on the government entirely because it will be free for all in government and their relatives and that wouldn’t be fair now…
K2 billion airport lounge at LUN!!!! I think someone has pocketed K1.9 billion!!!
Bring back the National Airline, improve airport infrastructure countrywide and put in place the right people to run it.
“Mr. Mupwaya said the airline has also established a K2 billion lounge at the Lusaka International Airport as a way of improving service delivery.”
Congratulations on your seriousness to put up sound facilities the Lusaka international Airport SAA. I really appreciate your gesture and concern to improve our Airport’s appearance.
Tamanga you are dead right! SAA good gesture but where is this lounge situated? is it exclusive? if it is exclusive then it does not benefit the common traveller. What we want is a general revamp of the whole airport and off course with no “nicekeleko business”
Zambians never learn.
#18. Zambia first
#23. Obinox
I am going to explain why govt should not set up a National Airline and why it must support existing Zambian airlines like Zambian Airways.
We all know that govt run institutions never work out. You dont have to look far for this, a few examples are ZAMTEL, ZESCO, NCZ, Cell Z, ZNBC, etc. Govt run institutions do not ALWAYS get the best leadership because even though the company makes losses, it is still being funded by govt. What will happen then is increase in taxes so as to pay for the company’s losses or taking money from one resource and putting it in the company.
cont..
Meaning instead of hiring more teachers and doctors, govt is putting more money in this failing institution when this money can be put elsewhere. What can also happen is uncontrolled borrowing in the hope that the company will start making profits or uncontrolled borrowing to carry out an expansion problem that is not needed and will result in more losses for the company.
What is needed in the Zambian aviation industry is more competition. More especially more competition locally done by private companies. If private companies make losses, there is no one on there back who is going to offset the losses. So to insure that they make profits, they’ll hire the best people for the job…
cont…
more especially if they have competitors. The reason ZNBC has not improved it’s programming is because
1. DStv is only afforded by those with money
2. Muvi TV is only available in Lusaka. If Muvi TV had to go national and they provide better entertainment, what that will mean is the advertisers will reduce on advertising on ZNBC and increase there advertising on Muvi TV because they are trying to get more people to see there products.
Govt should support existing companies by the way of “all govt officials travelling where Zambian Airways travels are required to use Zambian Airways”. That is a way of support.
What a shame to thet we can be writing and reading about `Air traffic Zambia’ yet there is a picture of a South African Airways plane.Its so shameful and no other country can show anything Zambian in ther papers,website etc.Where is our pride??????
what K2BN lounge are you talking about? You should go and see the VIP Lounge and even a mere K100M can not surpass what they have there, please can we be serious here. No wonder we walk two steps forward and three steps backwards.
…How about taking that tax payers money GRZ is supposed to come up with the so called “National Airline” into building a modern International Airport. We already have the national flag flying on Zambian Airways, all it needs is expansion….How about that???
what a useless Airport we have the only Airport We can compare to is the one in Malawi. GRZ do something please Shame
Anyone who has flown out of Zambia will agree that the refurbishment of our national airport must be given the seriousness it deserves. It is most embarrassing! What is even more depressing is the state of the Ndola Airport. I cannot believe that our leaders pass through these places and refuse to do anything about them.
No good airport, no good nation stadium, no national carrier, no UBZ, no good roads with readable efficient signs, a lot of work, ee?
Zambian Airways is thinly funded, as evidenced from the poor 27 year old 737 aircrafts they are using these days. With fuel hikes, I think their days are numbered. We need a national airline with Government having an interest. We are now a laughing stone, who have gone into the records as the most stupid government that closed an airline that had more assets than liabilities, Chiluba, Nkandu Luo and the unprofessional auditors PWC who actually sold some flats to own staff…what a scam. All major international carries are mostly owned by the state, BA, Emirates, Quantas, Cathy Pacific. In Zambia, we are even been served juice by South Africans when our young guys and girls lie un-employed…
#35 i agree with you.I dont see how we are calling for a good airport when we dont even have a national airline.We need a national airline urgenly.All countries that are proud of themselves have at least one.I find it offending for Lusaka Times to place a South African airline to refer to what we need here in Z
Chills [36], though you find the picture on this story offensive, the reality is the story is about South African Airways. A few weeks ago, it was about Kenyan Airways increasing their flights to Lusaka because it is a profitable route. The current ruling government are the ones who took down Zambia Airways, and they have no immediate intentions of bringing it back. So the hard fact is, as long as MMD is still in power, they will continue to pay lip service to the airline industry. New airport? new national airline? forget it. Not in the immediate future anyway. Look at the plans for the 2010 world cup! We just talk of building new stadia & increasing hotel rooms, what about Lusaka Airport?
37Thanks for your commend and and and i agreeto some extent.However, i think we still need to demand for a national airline of our ownI know there is no confidence in the GVT that it will implement it but a united loud voice can change a political mind to our favour.We need to continue asking for it,one day someone will answer.Its the right thing to do.Never give up if you now you are right.We deserve it and they owe it to us to deliver.Please dont give up unless you dont agree that we need it
I am actually glad that there is not toooo much traffic at Lusaka International Airport without a working radar system……
Is this the same Southafrica that is using our country as a cheap damping ground for there goods?,with they so called shopcrap!! or sorry shopright.our country has been sold down the tubes.
Have you heard of ” Highly Trained Citizens in the Flightpath”,
HTCF. Because of the frequent power cuts, residents have been given mobile phones and instructed to phone the control tower with information of what plane has flown over their property. Then half awake controllers then plot the landings.
Think of that when flying to Zambia.
I completely agree that Zambia should have a national airline. However, the many points raised above show the amount of work that needs to be done – especially in terms of airports and communications equipment. British Airways fly to and from Lusaka which means the run way can accommodate some larger planes. Aswell, if BA can fly to London Heathrow, then a new Zambia Airways plane may also do so. Saying this, the first priority in my view is to set up domestic flights and flights between neighbouring countries first, then set up international fligts – I say this as other carriers have international flights currently which serve tourists etc.
#42. Brit
Why waste time doing that when Zambian airways is already halfway.
They already have domestic flights. They also fly to South Africa and Tanzania and where also flying to Zimbabwe before they closed that flight due to losses.
Instead of demanding a national airline and it ends up failing later on and drains the national budget, let us just support already existing Zambian Airways.
cont..
And Zambian Airways also flies to Lumumbashi. It is only a matter of time before it starts Heathrow to Lusaka.
Apparently the old Zambia Airways to Heathrow slot is still available!!! Air Zimbabwe wanted the slot but the UK refused so they continue (if they still operate???) with the Gatwick route. Thats a prestigious route to have but somone needs to utilise it!!
# 45. Tamanga ,
have you got your facts right ?. With the shortage of space do think the brits would keep a space for a defunct airline ?
Yes, I think it is still available. Maybe one day Zambian Airways will be able to use that slot.
#2, Nine Chale, the Zambian govt and China are still discussing a national airline venture, just as they are constructing an ultra-modern stadiu with the help of China in Ndola where UNIP demolished a better than Independence Stadium.
Shame to all of you arguing,criticizing and waisting your time. why cant you just give one another advice of how to come with a better solution if at all you have any?
Discussing people has never brought progress in any country frankly speaking people that constantly discuss other people are time wasters. Cool, now that I have your attention here is what I think we need to do. Acknowledge that we are blessed. Nearly 40% of Africa’s water is in our country, and believe me, soon water will be a very essential commodity in many parts of the world, lets make good use of it. Secondly, we need to know we are strategically placed like the way London is to Europe so build good roads and infrustracture, improve the Airport and build more and lets be the Heathrow of Africa and even other flights from the American Continent to Australia/Asia will be refueling here.
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