Friday, March 29, 2024

Zambia Airways relaunch deferred again-Mushimba

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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

The relaunch of Zambia Airways has been deferred from January to April next year.

Minister of Transport and Communications Brian Mushimba announced in Parliament that the latest decision has been made to give the IDC enough time to appoint the board of directors for the airline.

He also explained that that the certification and registration process of the national airline was ongoing.

The relaunch of Zambia Airways was initially planned for October 24 this year, but the launch was deferred to January.

The decision was made during the signing of a shareholder agreement between the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) and Ethiopian Airlines in August this year.

The agreement prescribes conditions of partnerships between the two entities. IDC will have 55 majority percent shares while Ethiopian Airlines will hold 45 percent.

“We have projected to spend 20 million as initial investment to revamp the airline,” he said.

Mr Mushimba said the people to be appointed to sit on the Board of the new airline are being examined by government wings to ascertain their suitability to manage the new airline.

Mr Mushimba said the setting up of the new airline will also lead to the maximum utilisation of the aviation infrastructure that is being constructed at the cost of over US$1 billion.

“Mr Speaker, as you may be aware, government is establishing the national airline with the Ethiopian Airways as a strategic partner. When established, the national airline will operate purely on commercial principles without government or political interference in its operations. Mr Speaker, government through IDC, is in the process of appointing a board of directors for the national airline, which is currently being vetted by various government wings to determine their suitability to serve on the board. Soon after the board is formally appointed, it will immediately appoint the chief executive officer and other top management staff,” Mr. Mushimba said.

“Mr Speaker, the airline top management shall recruit support staff and commence to build systems for operationalization the airline, including certification and registration of the national airline equipment. The certification and registration process will take a minimum of 116 days from the day the CEO for the national airline lodges the application papers for the air operator certificate to the Civil Aviation Authority.”

“Mr Speaker, concurrently, certification is ongoing and the national airline management team will recruit and train the air crew, ground handling staff, marketing and aircraft maintenance staff. Given the time it will take to complete the national airline certification and registration process, we can safely say that the launch of our national airline will take place in the first quarter of 2019. We will inform this House and the nation at large on the exact date once the board is constituted and management put in place.”

He also disclosed that the national airline will create 500 direct jobs once launched.

41 COMMENTS

  1. Mw@nya ba P.F KAWALALA!!
    You & your leader Jona think running an airline is like running a Chawama Br0t.hel /Tavern??
    We know this was a conduit for syphoning money from the treasury, & slip in Jonas luxury Ferrari in the sky airline, using the Zambia Airways loan. This is BR juniors Smart Rubbish Enterprise.
    #JONAAYENDE.

    • Why the delay??
      Is it hard to get Sikazwe, Munir, & Kaizer, to get enough Bemba’s & Nyanja Cadres??
      You have always passed this task with flying colours.

    • Let me try this other insult and make it more firm, LT is moderating the other:
      Mushindo wabe ittlole, its too much of insulting Zambians you retarded PF-ministers, bamulala kwachenama. Nechakumilya tachimoneka. And we are only hearing wrong funerals, the deserved one still enjoying lying and foooling Zambians. Lesa taba bwino.

    • This is because China has become more strict when it comes to lending money to some African Countries like Zambia.

    • And this is why I call BR Mumba its not an insult…JUNIOR he is not worthy of SR title…cadres like him are destroying our country with their politically tinted lenses.

    • The delay is bcoz one of the planes is still being converted into Lungu’s private Jet & will then be flown to Israel to be fitted with Anti-missile lazers as if there’s anyone who wants to kill Lungu. It’s easy to kill lungu with a catapult than wasting a plane over this lazy crook.

      All the Zambia Airways planes & $400-million Lungu’s Private Jet are meant to land in Zambia on the same day so that negative attention to Lungu’s private jet is diverted.

      Meanwhile Norway has already cut aid to Zambia bcoz of this reckless expenditure. Their Prime Minister travels economy class & drives a volvo.

    • maloza – EA would never allow such dodgy aircraft with no credible safety track record in its fleet…that Russian aircraft is for the lazy reckless man in State House

  2. Haven’t we been telling you people that this was misplaced priorities? Once again we appeal to you to reconsider this doomed venture

  3. We’d earlier said Zambia Airways relaunch was unrealistic and the plan was doomed to fail and we got called names by B.R Mumba .Now we’ve been vindicated.

    • JUNIOR is an educated fooooool who has even disappeared due to shame only leaving his small dull boy to insult people on LT.

    • They called us names when we told them that some of us follow this sector closely…now they can not even reverse their decision because they are too proud with stupor.

    • All the while, they have poured Millions of taxpayers U.$.D into this P.F venture, thats dying right before our eyes.
      Trust me, they always intended to use this as a conduit to siphon our cash, & the money has already been shared out amongst these “PatrioticFoolish RATS”, never to be seen again or refunded.
      HOW I WISH ZAMBIA WAS IN WEST AFRICA, THEY HAVE A GOOD TRACK RECORD OF SOLVING SUCH ISSUES!!

  4. This was coming from the offset,another failed money wasting venter from a failed govt under a convicted criminal, this was a scum all along, next u will hear that the funds paid to Ethopian airlines were non refundable and that will be the end of it, maybe it will be in another ZANACO account…… The usual trick, to think that their are still people supporting these guys is very priceless

  5. Lungus private jet costs more than the national airline ???

    LT why are you not telling us about lungus jet ?

    Has Amos chanda stoped you reporting ?

    • Spaka, are you sure is a “jet” and not “jets”?
      According to AC, one jet is Russian regional jet (S-100) and there is also G-650ER!!!
      Total cost, inclusive of modifications?
      In excess of USD 120 million!!!

  6. 1994 is 24 years ago. That time, we advised your predecessors that running an airline was not the same as running a fleet of buses at Kulima Tower. We advised them to look carefully at the survival plan before them (which, by the way also suggested some form of partnership among other alternatives). Your predecessors thought we were joking. NOW you are demonstrating exactly what we told them. Good luck in the re-launch. IT IS NOT LIKE RUNNING A FLEET OF BUSES FROM KULIMA TOWER.

  7. The new Zambia airways will be on the run way forever it won’t take off.PF government should learn to listen to the professionals…Don’t say they never advised you

  8. Just forget about the air mode please.Planning is an internal matter.On one hand you want to be transparent,on the other hand your incompetence and inefficiency is being exposed

  9. Total support for New Zambia Airways guaranteed. April 2018 is not far. What counts is focus on objective. The 500 jobs created needed to be broken down for public to appreciate the benefits to the families. details help to build a strong case in favor of given decision and/or action or inaction. It is better to state: A) General workers (including cleaners and porters)= 50; Senior managers= 5; Middle management= 15; managerial staff= 50; other skilled workers=300, etc.

    • Your friends who have a half a brain have shyed away from commenting but you comment with your nonsense…i highly doubt you are a Doctor!!

    • Why is Zambia so cursed?Even old people like this Dr Makasa are defying nature,they say wisdom comes with age,having followed Dr Makasa Kasonde’s posts i swear with him age came alone.And if that doctorate is not honorary one the man deserves a refund,it is not working…

  10. *Chuckles*
    Iyayi sure, aba anyamata na ndeke zao pazafa umodzi, kapena wina ndimuzache. Chakuti amange Rail line tikadziyenda tonse pa train chibvuta abale. Eve afuna Ariporto yandeke. Kaya benebake. Aisha, mapenzi.
    Meanwhile a project has to be well planned for. If you over shoot your finishing time it’s a failed one already. Good luck.

  11. Come what may zambia airways will be launched and the first flight will take off on 24th October 2018. I eat my own vomit the launch has been deferred to Jan 2019. I eat my vomit again as the launch has been deferred to April 2019. It’s like you are fond of your vomit Brian mushimba.

    • “pipo” just comment on the daily PF crap!!!
      As it appears that you are not “ignorant” on aviation issues, please enlighten us, the “ignorant” ones, how many airplanes, seats and load factor % you need in order to directly support 500 jobs of this new airline?
      Your “expert” comment will be highly apreciated!

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