MINISTER of Transport and Communications Brian Mushimba says the establishment of a national airline is the surest way for Zambians to appreciate Government’s massive investments in the aviation sector.
And Mr Mushimba has brokered an agreement between Zambia Railways Limited and its former employees who retired in 1992, 1995 and 1998 for the payment of about K44 million to those who were underpaid.
In an interview at the ongoing Zambia International Trade Fair in Ndola on Saturday, Mr Mushimba said he is happy with the US$1.7 billion infrastructure investment spread across the Zambian aviation space because it is in line with Government’s vision of ensuring that Zambia becomes a transport hub in the region.
“That’s why we want to establish our own national airline because we don’t want to be like that person who will build a nice garage only for the neighbours to come and park their cars there,” he said.
Mr Mushimba said his ministry is actively looking at the best option in terms of how the national airline will be operated.
Govt owned airlines worldwide never work or make a profit, look at SAA, Air Zimbabwe and Ethiopian air claims to make one but the books are not open for public audit. Zambia only has 14 mil people 80% live on less than $3.00 day. who will pay the loss of this airline?
We need to start to mean what we say: The have a problem of discipline, rather the lack of it, when we have majority control. It is about time we resolved to establish regional airlines with both equitable private and public ownership across Southern Africa for starters – Eventually at the continental level. We have done pretty well with African Reinsurance and ZEP Re (Comesa Reinsurance). We should encourage what works and discourage what doesn’t. National airlines have been a calamitous flop. It only serves job seeker’s, but only in the short-term.
Might as well name the new company “Zambia Airloss” cuz it’ll bleed u$ to death.
True gentlemen Ken and Mzambia. We don’t need a national airline. Just encourage businessmen to invest in that and leave govt out of it. Don’t take us backwards. Let govt keep the role of creating the environment and not getting involved in business
It’s okay to criticise but we need to do so with facts. Just because others are failing to run air lines doesn’t mean we shouldn’t set up one. We are landlocked country. To turn ourselves into landlinked country we need to exploit all transport channels including rail, road, air, etc. Whereas we can export our copper & grain through road & rail we can’t hope to diversify in to fresh products for export to Europe & Asia or into tourism without own nation airline. Why do you think there are more tourists going into RSA & not too long ago Zim? A national airline is just like a road or railine. A country needs to use & manage it efficiently & that’s where Zambia needs to focus. God Bless Zambia.
IN FACT ZAMBIA AIRWAYS NEVER FAILED- IT WAS FAILED BY THE KK REGIME. KK, UNIP AND ITS GOVERNMENT USED TO TAKE THE WHOLE LOT OF DC10 SAY TO JAPAN TO ATTEND A FUNERAL AND IT IS PACKED THERE FOR DAYS UNTIL THE END OF A FUNERAL. THE PARTY AND ITS GOVERNMENT NEVER EVEN USED TO PAY TO USE THE AIRLINE. SO, RUN UNPOLITICALLY THE NEW AIRLINE IS BOUND TO PLUNGE IN HUGE PROFITS. EMPLOYMENT IN ZAMBIA AIRWAYS AND OTHER PARASTATAL ORGANISATIONS WERE POLITICAL AND ABUSIVE. HOW HAS AIR FRANCE MADE IT? AS @4 HAS SAID BLOGGERS MUST LEARN TO AVAIL FACTS AGAINST THE RE-INTRODUCTION OF THE AIRLINE.
Let us call a spade … a spade. The fact that Zambia Airways is no longer flying implies that IT FAILED. The rest is an effort in SEMANTICS.
We have written articles about the folly of national airline project.This people never listen.The must have ulterior motives other than national interest because the national carrier business model is discredited.Please have your priorities right.All proper aviation experts will tell you this is a failed business model.
The chosen one….. You took words out of my mouth and I hear you claim your submission as mine. Good day
Tourism and industrialization including economic diversification into agric and agric value chain won’t happen without enabling environment including a national airline.
FRANCE PROMISED TO HELP ZAMBIA RE-ESTABLISH THE AIRLINE USING AIRBUS THEIR AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURING COMPANY. FRANCE PROMISED TO BEEF UP THE NEW ZAMBIAN AIRLINE WITH A NEW FLEET OF AIRCRAFT, TO TRAIN ENGINEERS AND PILOT AND ALL TECHNICAL. “ANY TIME YOU ARE READY, JUST TELL US”, SAID HOLANDE THE FORMER PRESIDENT OF FRANCE ON BEHALF OF FRANCE.
He is doing things in France’s interest and not Zambian.Forget
@ Nsokolo I concur with you. France has Airbus aircraft to sell. If you do not see this then look again.
No need for a national airline. Gvts world wide are terrible at running business. Let the private sector continue. USA has no national airline. We learned our lessons on Zambia Airways.
ZAMBIA MUST TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BREXIT TO ACQUIRE NEW DIMENSIONS OF BUSINESS AND BUSINESS PARTNERS IN EUROPE AND BRITAIN UNDER NEW WIN-WIN CONDITIONS. A NEW AIRLINE WILL SEE A TOATALLY NEW, UNTRADITIONAL AND INCREASED VISITORS TO ZAMBIA FROM EUROPE INCLUDING UK WHO WILL BE COMPETING TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE EMERGING AFRICA’S ECONOMY. ZAMBIA WILL SEE A SEA OF TOURISTS FROM EUROPE AND UK. WITH AN AIRLINE, THE ZAMBIAN AIRLINE CAN CHOOSE TO OPERATE PROFITABLE AND FRIENDLY DESTINATIONS TO BRING IN TOURISTS AND POTENTIAL INVESTORS. ZAMBIA CAN OPERATE DIRECT FLIGHTS SAY TO USA, CHINA, FRANCE, GERMANY, ETC WHERE WHERE IT IS OBVIOUS FOR A GOOD NUMBER OF PASSENGERS. LOCAL AND REGIONAL PRIVATE AND STATE AIRLINES CAN AUTOMATICALLY INCREASE BUSINESS DUE TO INCREASES INTERNATIONAL FLIGHTS. ONLY A F00L…
BA flew to Zambia for 70 years but pulled out a few yrs ago because of low pax numbers, a Zambia govt airline will run at a loss because govt ministers will fly for free and the airline will have high debt.
yet Emirates, Air France, SAA and others bring tourists from Asia, Europe and North America.so who is going to travel on Zambian aircraft , I won’t I want a safe well maintained aircraft with good service. Remember to run a airline you need proper maintenance centres and the nearest is Joburg, not viable to build one in Zambia.
Support Pro flight for local flights , it hires local and is owned by locals.
We do not need to run the airline.It is an expensive venture.We do not have a capacity to run such complex businesses(We can not run the mines,Do you think Zesco is efficient?See what happened to the mines?We have been here before.)The list is endless.Zampost,Zamtel.We can not run the local council efficiently.We failed to run a bus company.We can not run the water utility companies efficiently.We can not run agriculture as a business.We can not even run our county.It will be an economic suicide to let Goverment run the airline.
Nsokolo you have given very good examples of how we have failed to run anything profitably. Kanshi caba shani mu Zambia. There is too much political inteference into business entities that are quasi government. Even getting our billions of dollars from a mining firm that short changed the nation there are politicians discouraging us but keen to run to the IMF to get a loan of a similar figure. What a shame
Government should not be too engaged in commerce. For instance the President and Ministers should not sit on Boards of State Owned Enterprises such as IDC. Such structures are unworkable. A President or even a Minister must oversee at the MACRO national level (not Micro corporate level).
Without national airline you are doomed .. will there be any need to train pilots and engineers? Where will they find jobs if not in ZAF. 14m people without even a hundred trains .. where does the future lay???
We need sustainable jobs not just any kind of jobs as a pass-time activity. We need to incrementally build our economy. We have already said too much about Zambia’s potential. Let’s roll our sleeves and do the right thing (not just anything). Lets work smart.