Thursday, March 28, 2024

The soon to be launched National Airline will be called Zambia Airways-Mushimba

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Zambia Airways Boeing 737-200
FILE: Zambia Airways Boeing 737-200
Minister of Transport Brian Mushimba says Zambia’s soon-to-be-revamped National airline will maintain its old name Zambia Airways.

Mr Mushimba says plans to revamp the airline have reached an advanced stage, with an expected launch to take place next year.

He says his ministry has already compiled a document presenting three scenarios over the national airline that is currently being vetted by the Ministry of Finance before it is pushed for cabinet review.

Mr Mushimba was speaking during TV2’s Morning Live News and Current Affairs Segment.

Mr Mushimba emphasized that Zambia is economically stable for the much anticipated development.

63 COMMENTS

    • In 2012, we were told that plans to revamp the airline had reached an advanced stage, with an expected launch to take place in 2013…. this is 2017, I cant believe what politicians say.

    • Another white elephant. Why is our cabinet so mediocre? This a project they should not have approved. It makes sense for them to invest in commuter light train project in Lusaka

    • The definition of a f00l is doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results —-

      Now they even want to use the SAME NAME!

    • @Mshotah:
      Exactly my point! Advanced stage is one the most used and abused words when these nincompoops are planning to steal from a project.

    • Same name and same management style which led to the demise of the original Zambia Airways now a rebased same airline is being revived promising the languishing former employees rehiring to help run down the dream!

    • This project has problems before it even begins. Those russian jets can’t even reach Dubai, London or even Cairo. Their range (4,700 km) only places them on the African continent with the furthest destination being Addis Ababa and Lagos. Even Chinaman can’t use us!

    • “Mr Mushimba emphasized that Zambia is economically stable for the much anticipated development.”
      BA MUSHIMBA, YOU ARE SOUNDING APOLOGETIC FOR DOING THE RIGHT THING. DON’T BE APOLOGETIC TO DEVILS. OF COURSE AT THIS MOMENT ZAMBIA WILL NEVER BE SHORT OF DETRACTORS WHO ARE ALWAYS ON THE WRONG CAMP OF THINGS. ZAMBIA NEEDS AN AIRLINE JUST AS STRAIGHT AND SIMPLE AS THAT. DO NOT APOLOGISE TO LUCIFERS.

    • Last time I checked Zambia Airways was liquidated and today the same name wants to appear. Airline business like any other business should be privately handled. I wonder how many cadres will be flying free of charge. This is how Zambia airways started making loses because every Jim and jack or unip vigilantes like tekele banda could board the plane as long as they have a relative who works ku zambia airways and unfortunately history is about to repeat it’s self in the name of ZAMBIA AIRWAYS. Reminds of how Chiluba and his crew managed to sale Zambia Airways to themselves using Aero Zambia while partnering with an Italian mafia businessman unfortunately the Italian dribbled them very well. That is how Aero Zambia was halted by GRZ machinery.

  1. Good intentions. Nomba why same name? I hope tamwakabe ba kaponya bopundilila pokwela ati muyenda. Ba harare, joburg tiyeni apa….

  2. Zambia Airways has a bright future. The National Airline was a viable commercial entity before pressure from political interference grounded it. What is political interference? Political interference is appointment of political failures to run an airline. Political interference is neglecting professional advice. Political interference is the free rides by government travelers. Political interference is authorizing unapproved expenditure. Political interference is awarding contracts to fictitious suppliers. That is the meaning of political interference.

    • Well guess what? Political Interference is alive and WELL in this country… ALIVE and WELL.. I shudder to think what number of free loaders the planes will be carrying, worse still during campaigns..kaya ngati we wont see Boeing 737 painted in political colors (or dressed in chitenge) landing at a school ground..

  3. Stupidity of the highest order…what have done to be himped with such morons for leaders.
    Doing the same thing over again and again!!

  4. @jayjay you under5 cadres are a problem, anti development fo.ols….you are the same f.ool that has been crying for a national airline…now that government wants to reintroduce the airline you are complaining,what is it that you will appreciate! This is why i don’t and will never support under5 fo.ols…If you are still unhappy with the development…go kiss hh on the. ….

    • I do not think this is a partizan issue. This is a national issue and citizens are contributing as citizens and not as PF or UPND. You are not going to achieve anything positive if you are always going to think on PARTISAN lines

  5. We did it before so what can stop us from didding it again? LoL!

    Jokes aside, only positive figures on the balance sheet will make this one the good news it is meant to be. Good luck to the new management or as we say over here: “Viel Glück!”

  6. They will appoint Pf cades as managers to ruin the whole thing, Nothing will come out of it unless they keep their long sticky fingers out of it.

  7. Merits and demerits of National Airline.
    The debates begin.
    Do we really need a National Airline and whose interest will it serve? Politicians or Politician family?A lot of Airlines are closing down due to unfavourable world economic conditions.Think of something else which will not be a burden for the country for now.Airline can come in 2090 when the current leadership is no more.

  8. You all should get that money and fix and modernise the rail systems in zambia (both freight and passenger). The benefits of a modern rail system to the country by far outweighs those of an airline. With a rail system like ours, our roads will need frequent maintenance which zambian contractors cannot do. No night time passenger travelling because of fear of fatal accidents. The list goes on. The one problem with many zambians is the love for foreign countries and products at the expense of their own people country and products. What a damn shame.

    • Some of these commenting only heard of ZA from their mothers and fathers who worked there…most think an aircraft simply taxis on the tarmac at Joburg or Heathrow like a minibus does at Kulima Tower Bus station and passengers jump in till its full!!

  9. In life failure should teach you lessons. It is a defeatist attitude to think because you failed you can not try again. My main worry is that government may appoint party cadres to run the airline. That will be a recipe for failure.

    • Who do you think is shouting the loudest for this National Disaster? The average Zambian?

      Only party cadres that think they will get free flights and lots of allowances, Lungu being their example!

  10. @HaJayJay #1.3; 6, tribalist fooool, never sleeps because his heart is full of hatred and tribalism! It will never be President! Sorry I meant the devil!

    • Get over with HH and type sense here, We are talking about a National airline here. Nothing in that article has anything to do with politics, Grow up already!

  11. Zambia under PF is really going in reverse! We can not run Njanji commuter profitable and we think we can do better with and airline. Besides, with that name the company with start off with the burden of dealing with legacy debt and litigation from the previous failure.

    Why not make the railway system more efficient?

    Good luck folks.

  12. Zambia Airways flying in RUSSIAN PLANES!!!!
    Do you guys have an idea how many RUSSIAN-made planes have crashed around the world just this year already???????? Zambia Airways will be the only airline to run on a fleet of re-furbished Russian aeroplanes. Good luck! I will keep to my airlines.

  13. Zambia has been saved from a man who got rich for selling Zambian property! The guy even went to South Africa and did his MPs! I wonder why they didn’t go to Tanzania, to Kenya, to Namibia but o South Africa!

    • Your love and lusting for one HH is now legendary…..is it Tonga men or HH in particular that gives you this fixation and lusting ??

    • Shallow @18, Get over with HH and type sense here, We are talking about a National airline here. Nothing in that article has anything to do with politics, Grow up already!

  14. The president’s and the Party’s achievements in such a short period of time is testimony enough that no friend to Satan, will come to be president in Zambia! No the henchmen to evil spirits!

    • At what cost, $20 billion debt ?

      Anyone can commission projects with borrowed money….come on get a grip on reality, it is all borrowed money , even my grade 12 son can do that , what’s the big deal ?

    • @Shallow, you are the evil spirit your self. Your comments are full Hatred for HH and am neither Tonga nor UPND but am amused at shallow minded hypocrites like you who pretend to know God and yet you are evil by nature.

  15. This is just a prestige project by pf to justify lungu buying a new presidential jet…..all efforts to improve the rail system in zambia would have made more sense so as to cater for the widest possible spectrum of our economy and our people.

  16. You have ministers who spend K20,000 on their concubines in a bar in one day …and you expect these utterly reckless tins to run a company in the dog eat dog sector…really laughable..more numbers being added to the national debt!!

  17. Let us play the game! The Fish Eagle catches fish 3 out of 10 attempts. IT NEVER GIVES UP TRYING UNTIL IT SUCCEEDS! Sing the national anthem chorus about the flight of the fish eagle proudly again.

    • You need a hard slap across your face to wake you up from your docility. Do you think an Eagle risks billions of tax dollars everytime it dives for fish?

  18. In another breaking news… the much talked about rail line is to be undertaken by China but it will start with Lusaka- Chongwe- Kafue. its called Light trams like the one recently commissioned in Addis Ababa Ethiopia. keep up with the good work guys! I will ensure I vote this time around.

    • Do you know how much that cost? Chirwa suggested something similar you laughed at him out loud stating where he would get electricity. Now foreigner says it who does not value you as humans …you jump up and down like silly bonobos even half of what you are wasting on Lusaka Ndola dual carriageway could be used for that.
      Wake up from your docility!!
      Wake up!!

  19. When PF cadres get drunk over jameson, quickly summon PF journalists and issue a phrase as news that Zambia is about to launch a national air line to be known as Zambia Airways Mushimba.

  20. If this healine was on CNN or in British Times people would not mistake it for what we see on this blog. Such is the mentallity of our own so called intellectuals. This is a typical deranged thinking which only see the negative and it is a disease.

  21. This is one hell of a stubborn honourable minister. Iwe Brian Mushimba, that will be our money, please think properly, that is not an effient waybof using my tax money.

  22. It should be named Zambia Thin Airways ….the profits and revenues always disappear into thin air leaving us with another white elephant.

  23. Tazara and Zambia Railways have been revamped well its progress to revamp airline because politicians will fly by those but cannot ride on dilapidated trains. We wait and see.

  24. Some pipo are commenting on the light rail… since when does a city council commit the country a debt of significant value and permit the builder of the rail line to manage it and consequently collect the revenue,
    How are we paying for the airplanes, for national airline, how are we paying airports, hiw are we paying for railwayss hiw are we paying for light rail…… are we going to hsndover the management to the builder/funder like we have done with our national broadcaster. Chinese arevour new colonial masters but pipomare only seeing dollar signs. Wake up zambia.

  25. Zambia Airways never failed. It was closed down by ignorant Politicians. The contribution by government to Zambia Airways Balance Sheet was less than 1%. 99% of assets were leased. Zambia Airways was basically owned by Management. The entire Zambia Airways Fleet was on lease. The lease was organized by Zambia Airways Management. The government should have respected this fact and should have allowed QZ management to make the decisions and not the other way round.
    Please be advised that Qz performing assets(aircraft) were all forex denominated and this exposed the airline to shocks in the local currency Vs foreign currency. At the time, the USD/ZMK fluctuations were so negative that they affected the airlines operations adversely. Imagine a situation where the USD to ZMK was say 1USD to…

    • Dear Mike! as a former QZ employee in Europe I am absolutely “flabergasted” by your, following, statements: 1) “Zambia Airways never failed” 2) “The contribution by government … was less than 1%” 3) “99% of assets were leased” – kindly advise where you got this information. What point 3) concerns, I additionally appreciate you explain how “foreign assets” are unconnected to obligations leading to insolvencies.
      Any idea why N3016Z (a foreign asset!) one fine morning in the 90’s – a couple of hours after arriving from LUN – took off from LHR to the USA?

  26. Dear Mike! as a former QZ employee in Europe I am absolutely “flabergasted” by your, following, statements: 1) “Zambia Airways never failed” 2) “The contribution by government … was less than 1%” 3) “99% of assets were leased” – kindly advise where you got this information. What point 3) concerns, I additionally appreciate you explain how “foreign assets” are unconnected to obligations leading to insolvencies.
    Any idea why N3016Z (a foreign asset!) one fine morning in the 90’s – a couple of hours after arriving from LUN – took off from LHR to the USA?

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