Thursday, March 28, 2024

National Airline carrier will be operational by 2014, Mukanga tells Parliament

Share

Yamfya Mukanga-President Sata-Philip Kosamu

GOVERNMENT has assured the nation that the National Airline carrier will be operational by 2014.

Transport, Works, Supply and Communication Minister Yamfwa Mukanga said consultative meetings to ensure the establishment of the National Flag carrier were currently being held.

Mr Mukanga said Government was also pursuing the objective of securing the necessary partnership and equipment required to achieve the desire for the National flag carrier.

He said this in Parliament on Tuesday when debating the 2014 budgetary allocation to his ministry amounting to K864, 138,902 million for personal emolument and programmes.

“The ministry has initiated measures to establish a national flag carrier, we intend to actively pursue the objective of securing the necessary partnership and equipment required to achieve our desire,” Mr Mukanga said.

He said the ministry would also procure ladder system for Harry Mwanga Nkumbula and Kenneth Kaunda International Airports to safety in the air navigation.

He said the ministry recognises the important role that the aviation industry plays in promoting trade and investment and in particular it contribution to tourism.

He said to enhance access to tourist destination across the country the ministry would prioritise the rehabilitation of aero drums countrywide.

He said to ensure successive results the ministry would focus of the few to achieve results and putting in consideration the availability of funds.

He said his ministry had transformation the department of the Civil aviation into an authority to ensure professionalism.

42 COMMENTS

  1. That Mukanga, that’s why Sata calls him that “uli chipuba iwe, there many people who want to be Minister of works”. He thinks next year is too far? 2014 is almost next month, and establishing Airline is not just ukubwata bwata.

    • By 2014 indeed, and it will be heavily abused in the same way Zambia Airways was! Did he actually say 2014? May some serious work has already been done on the ground, but I don’t see this happening n January. An airline needs planes for crying out aloud!

    • But why do we need a national airline? tamulapwisha na airport iya new. how many projects are you running at a time? just divert all the money you have for the national airline into making the airports in lusaka,livingstone and ndola mega powerful,modern withe the latest technology,then use your membership in SADC to market ourselves as a central hub for all airlines in south,east,central africa. whats this business na national airline. ati we are losing millions every week because we dont have a national airline. ma labish chabe!!!

    • Alot has been commented over the flaws of having a national airline in the Zambian economy when airlines in bigger economies are failing to compete. Its not about wanting a National Airline, we all want alot of thing but cant have them. Could this necessity be backed up by proper economic data and projections of financial returns. If right at the onset one realises that a project wont be profitable, it is folly to continue with it. Would be nice to have a clause as to who will be answerable when this project fails. Emirates airline is a success, partly because they have oil and aviation fuel at source helps its profit margins. This airline will be abused by government officials. Like in Kaunda days, the president will first call on its use to AU meetings etc

    • What part of ‘BAD IDEA’ do PF not understand? There is no provision for an airline in the 2014 (unless they hid it under another line) so where will the money come from?

  2. It is like telling lies by most of our ministers is in their blood, by 2014, you have an airline which is up and running. Why the rush at the expense of proper planning and sustainability? Is it that planning is not part of you Mr Mukanga or you just do not understand how to major big projects like establishing a national airline? Well you are at least doing better than 90 days theory.

  3. So this guy is still around? Maybe Ukwa’s description of Mukanga as a ‘cipuba’ was spot on. Any way, continue with your 2014 national airline hallucinations

  4. Bearing a child is not a problem-its raising it.The biggest challenge for Zed is sustaining an airline and even growing it like Kenya and Ethiopia have done.Now go ahead and prove me wrong

  5. This is being door. These guys think they can just get out of their bed and announce things. They said they will state vocational training for school leavers by the end of this year and nothing has happened. We will give you the constitution by June 2013 they have failed. Sorry to insult but MULUFIPUBA ba government. What a shame. Atase

  6. Ba LT why embarrace yourselves like this. Ati ‘ladder system’, its supposed to be ‘Radar system’ or maybe Mukanga has problems with elo’s and ara’s

  7. Is it by 2014 or by the end of 2014? I will no call icipuba icipuba seeing that ba LT are also calling Radar as Ladder and no one of bloggers so far knows the difference.

  8. Having a flag carrier or partner behind an airline might be cheaper and quicker to operationalize. Learning about operational challenges facing major National airlines will be helpful also Look at BA,SA,KE,NA Kulula or even Zim and see how our friends are performing.Returns have dwindled

    Lets do the scenarios the NPV or is it the IRR and the profitability indexes and do a peer review and check the trends in world destinations in travels to determine the long-term sustainability and profitability.

    Every business is viable but its important to do a thorough justification and see long-term learning lessons from Zambian airways and other local already established currently flying…

  9. Prevailing situation at KCM:
    1. They are selling all inventory including sensitive spares without leaving any spare to support the operations
    2. Scrap is being sold like nomans business
    3. They have started closing all the running contracts especially under projects
    4. Konkola Deep Mining Project (KDMP) has been stopped and no contractor to be on site after 30th November 2013
    I’ll keep updating you…..

  10. Honestly speaking, Zambia cannot afford to run a national airline. The industry has become so competitive. South Africa is always bailing out its national airline to the tune of billions of rands per year. What Zambia ought to do is upgrade the three so called international airports to world class standard to attract other foreign airlines to use them. That way, we will be able to generate money without losing any sleep. How many reputable airlines have gone under in the last 5 years. You cant run an airline with two planes. You are promising a national airline by 2014 .. in 1 month’s time!! It takes over 5 years to do a proper feasibility study!!!

    • I agree with you. We do not need Government in business. This will just be a scheme to steal money. Give private operators incentives such as tax breaks etc. A national airline will just start consuming more tax payers money, and it will only employ family tree members.

  11. # Zambian Pilot, me too have heard this song million times. I thought it was going to be ready before the World tourism event in Living and Vic falls towns. And where where is that low budget private airline we heard time back? To the nays, how came proflight is going on strong?

  12. Its important to do a thorough analysis of the risks and returns in the same the NPV and IRR scenarios including the profitability indexes and other.A joint venture and flag carrier will ensure little Gov spending thereby encouraging private led participation leaving Gov to flex its muscles in spendings appropriately in the desired growth

    A little bit of case scenario of SA,BA,Kenya,Zim,Nam and other regional airlines taking into account trends in world destinations will put things in perspective as the justification is made.

    If you follow the airlines industries ,you will observe the stiff operational challenges including dwindling returns as competition increases

    • Exactly. It would be fascinating to have a discussion with Mukanga and ask him pertinent questions regarding the feasibility studies and analysis undertaken to support the issue that this will be a profitable venture and what model this operation will be run i.e. PPP or majority government control etc. What routes for example is this airline going to operate on (establish the competitors) and projected demand and hence earning potential. With this and above issues being availed to the public, then and only then will the government carry the public with them on this venture.

  13. Ndipo mwaikonda ndeke galavanting, now u even want a personnal to holder so that u beat RB record. Amama neo! The whole parliament wanting to risk borrowed money into a tricky aviation industry! U fail to run a ka party yet u dream ati u can run vi ma ndeke, that ndeke will be full of panga cadres and the ZA debacle will be relived. That’s how low one sinks when they have ba KK for an economic adviser. Vinzelu va kudala vo ola!!

  14. PF ministers are a rare breed, it’s like they are all in a trance or under hypnosis, they just open their mouths and just let go.
    A few months ago another minister issued a statement that ‘load shedding will be over in Zambia by 2014’. Knowing these people from the time they assumed office these promises are not practicable. Something is seriously wrong with the governance of the country.

  15. Zambia Railways and Tazara are have been limping. Even the famous Euro Bond could not help resuscitate ZR. Now, talk about National Airline by 2014… What kind of people are in Government?????

  16. Mukelebayi stop dreaming. You have no knowledge about Nchanga mine and Konkola deep drilling. I worked for Nchanga mine for atleast 12 yrs before resigning. Probably you havent visited Zambia in a long time and you are solelily dependent on half baked news like zambian watchdog, lusakatimes and many other untrust worthy news sites. Other wise you will take the smoke leaving the fire. Be watchful.

  17. This Australian “engineer” talks like a mr know it all. He is so blind and usually doesn’t know what he talks about. You can be where ever you are. Zambians don’t need you at all. The only reason you come or contribute on this forum is because you have been rejected in the nation where you are. I lived in Perth for 4 years before relocating to the UK. Stop boasting here and talking ill, of our country Zambia. If you have chosen Austrailia has you new , country stop talking rubbish about Zambia. Talk of your newly adopted countries that’s where you belong. And leave us in peace , you ( prodgical sons) with no vision. *****s who spend more than 35 yrs on morgage paying £1000 plus council tax, for a 2 bedroomed house a month. Stop mboasting here baba. We also here.

Comments are closed.

Read more

Local News

Discover more from Lusaka Times-Zambia's Leading Online News Site - LusakaTimes.com

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading