Friday, March 29, 2024

Zambia Airways will create employment opportunities

Share

Communication and Transport Minister Brian Mushimba announcing the cabinet approval of a new national airline during a "Team building" cocktail at Lusaka Intercontinental Hotel on Monday, 18 December 2017. Picture By Jean Mandela
Communication and Transport Minister Brian Mushimba announcing the cabinet approval of a new national airline during a “Team building” cocktail at Lusaka Intercontinental Hotel on Monday, 18 December 2017. Picture By Jean Mandela

A Copperbelt based pilot has praised government for considering establishing a National airline. Gift Bupe said that the coming of the new airline will create Job opportunities for most graduates from the Zambia Aviation Service Training Institute (ZASTI).

Mr. Bupe told ZNBC news in Kitwe that creation of a national airline is long overdue. He said the national airline will not only be a flag carrier but will also help boost the country’s tourism.

Mr. Bupe has however urged government to work closely with Technocrats in the aviation sector who will advise what is required as the 30 million dollars that has been channelled is coming at a huge cost.

On Tuesday Transport Minister Brian Mushimba presented the re-establishment of a National Airline as a mega Christmas gift to Zambians.Speaking during the ministry of transport and communications cocktail held at intercontinental hotel yesterday, the minister disclosed that cabinet, in its sitting , approved establishment of a national Airline. He said the national airline will be run in partnership with Ethiopian Airlines.

“Zambia’s government will be majority owner, operator of the airline. We want to make sure we go with a strategic partner, we share the risk, so we don’t burden the treasury, ” Said Hon Mushimba

He disclosed that the Partners will invest $30 million in first year. Hon Mushimba revealed that the First flight carrying the national flag is expected by october 2018.

The Minister clarified that the initial focus of the National Airline will be domestic routes before expanding to internationally.

Meanwhile, the minister has recounted successes scored in his ministry which among others included the reduction of road accidents by 20%, Commencement of Construction of the New Copperbelt International Airport, the increase of Zamtel subcribers by close to 1 million customers from 2016 to date.

The cocktail was attended by management and staff members from Zambia Airports Corporation Limited, ZAMTEL, ZICTA, Zambia Railways, ZAMPOST, RTSA and Mpulungu Harbour

Communication and Transport Minister Brian Mushimba announcing the cabinet approval of a new national airline during a "Team building" cocktail at Lusaka Intercontinental Hotel on Monday, 18 December 2017. Picture By Jean Mandela
Communication and Transport Minister Brian Mushimba announcing the cabinet approval of a new national airline during a “Team building” cocktail at Lusaka Intercontinental Hotel on Monday, 18 December 2017. Picture By Jean Mandela

35 COMMENTS

  1. Yes, it will create employment. But that depends on whether it will be making profit. Commercial Airline business is tipping right now in Africa. Probably Ethiopian Airlines will benefit more in this deal than Zambia Airways.

    • As long as the money is staying in Africa. Have you thought about how this can open up tourist opportunities for Zambia, by having Africans tour Zambia’s game parks.

    • Imute wa Kalilo – They want to create a National Airline and compete with Proflight and kill it off in the end, they will go down and there wont be any Zambian airlines …there is no major airline in Africa having it easy; why would anyone want to risk taxpayers money in this sector!!

    • This is a failed project, I can comfortably say that the PF government will not succeed with this project. This is not mini bus project.
      It’s just another pipe dream circulating the wind.

    • “Initial focus will be domestic routes”. This will likely crowd out the private sector leading to job losses. Is the domestic market large enough for a new player?

  2. More money was spent on fire trucks (US$42 Million) than what will be spent on the airline (US$30 Million), shouldn’t have the fire brigade have created even more jobs already than what the airline will create?

    • US$30 million is just what investors will bring and that is OK because it is in partnership with other shareholders. We have not yet heard what the government will invest but I guess it will be at least twice that ammount. If the project is well managed and operations run within schedule in the first year, this could work out just fine.

    • Simply look at the face of that man in the photo…would you trust such to even be successful with a Primary school tuck-shop?

    • That’s the thing Jay Jay , Zambian govt enterprises are run on what is politically convenient rather than pure and sound business logic.

    • Mzambia wa Zamani – In the Airline sector the first priority is always to keep the costs down through employing lean management techniques. This is already a recipe for disaster where these clowns have put employment creation as the main reason for creating a national airline…when big airlines in Africa and around the world are struggling…if you want to create employment why not invest in Agriculture.

    • @Jay Jay you are overstretching your ego. You are exhibiting open ignorance about the subject of job creation by an Airline. It’s so myopic to think that its only the direct employees of the airline being referring to. Employment creation is much more than that. The airline here is just the catalyst for employment creation. Its in fact the support industry that will thrive. Its the Hotel industry, the Tourism Industry, The Banking industry, the Transport industry etc.

    • @Ken – why are those sectors not thriving now ..is it because there is no national airline? I have been on Kenya Airlines flights to Lusaka and Nairobi in low peek season where the aircraft has been half full…now you tell me where you are suddenly going to find bums to sit on those seats on your national airline in that period? Are you going to offer ministers, govt officials and cadres free tickets?

  3. Thank God, IMF didnt give these reckless fooools that billion dollars as they would have poured alot of money in this useless idea!!

  4. Thank God, IMF didnt give these reckless fooools that billion dollars as they would have poured alot of money in this useless idea!!

    • Jay jay is clearly drunk on chibwantu… yes we know the ruling party is shyte, so is HH. The fact of the matter is though the government is stupid most of the times accepting inflated contracts, investment has been great and people acknowledging these positive moves.

      However, having said that, we need to nail the 1diots who’ve embezzled in no uncertain terms.

      The airline project if managed well is good. Like some people have already informed your sordid head, this airline has a multiplier effect creating spin off jobs and businesses.

  5. This is initially for DOMESTIC routes, domestic within zambia, zZambia to invest $30million and Ethiopia $30 million. Total capitalization of $60 million, that won’t be enough to setup infrastructure let alone purchase planes.
    If it is domestic why are ethiopia investing, if it is domestic how does increase tourism.
    Zambians barely have enough money for necessity let alone plane trips within zambia

  6. BRING IT ON. THERE CAN NEVER BE A BETTER TIME. “NAKUBA BUFI”. ZAMBIA IS MORE THAN READY FOR THE AIRLINE. THIS MUST BE THE REAL BEGINNING OF ZAMBIA’S MODERNISATION: NEW FAST AND MODERN ELECTRICAL CONNECTION TRAINS TO THE NEW AIRPORTS. NEW DESCENT AND INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS COMMUTTER BUSES SERVING AIRPORTS AND TOWNS OF CITIES. ETC.

  7. Zambia Airway should 1st be set up to create profits,2nd Airline growth and return on equity and last is employment opportunities.
    Brian Mushimba your airline has failed before takeoff already cuz of your politically convenient approach rather than business approach.

  8. Great move! Let me start preparing for October 2018, I want to be one of the first to commission this first flight. We also need a modern railway line, plus the North western railway line. This will protect our new expensive roads against the damaging impact by the copper laden trucks.

  9. I will be excited once I see the QZ colours come back; For now PF should deliver the goods on this than just mere sweet talk; tired of mere talk which is meant to influence the masses to let Lungu go for a third term;

  10. What? As if the silly national airline nightmare is not enough you will start with a local operations, have you seen the number of air travellers, the size of the market? Are you serious Hon Mushinba, that you will start by killing off the tested and ever improving local initiatives Mahogany and Proflight and then the national airline will itself die a natural but painful death after sucking all our tax dillars and more?. Which will leave us with no local airline and at best open up our local skies to foreign vultures.

  11. I certainly think that there is something terribly wrong with Hon Mushinba. He even thinks Ethiopian Air will share the risks with us, why on earth? I can assure Hon Mushinba that this will come to haunt him the rest of his life as the most costly and silly idea in Zambias history. Now I dont care about any nightmare that will befall Hon Mushinba, my condolences go to the people of Zambia whom I love so much.

  12. Please dont go this way. Zambia railways has failed with 120 million dollars and you want to spoil 30 million. Just give us the money we buy fertilizer for our farmers period.

  13. Let us be positive about this decesion.Zambia has become a country of great analysers.To be honest,if we are to analyse the cost of raising a child no one will ever think of having childrens but we have children.In the same way,if we analyse every business proposal,fear will make zambians not participate in any business.Let us give it a try.Events of the worlds are not dictated by man.

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