A group of Zambian aviation professionals in the Diaspora in partnership with their locally based counterparts and some foreign investors will be launching Zambia’s first budget airline in the next few months in readiness for the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) conference.

Mukuba Airlines Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Mwansa Chalwe explained that the airline’s business model will revolutionalize air travel in the country and contribute to promote tourism and investment throughout Zambia by making air travel affordable and complement other product offerings that are on the market.

Mr Chalwe said the vision of the founders of Mukuba airlines is to demystify and democratize air travel and emulate emerging economies like Brazil, India, Indonesia and others that have extended air travel to those who have never flown before including domestic workers as was the case in Brazil.

He was speaking at a media briefing in Livingstone yesterday.

Mukuba Airlines, which is expected to be a low cost carrier, is meant mainly for domestic travel and will be the first of its kind in Zambia.

Mr Chalwe said the company has an investment plan of between US $ 5 and 15 million in the project.

He said with regard to the airline industry, the number of regional and international airlines coming into Zambia has increased in the last ten years by over 60 per cent, bringing in record numbers of regional and international passengers but the domestic aviation sector has not grown at the same rate and has lagged behind which has created a gap in terms of feeder services and limited the visitors’ travel options to most parts of Zambia.

He stated that the launch of the low cost carrier has reached an advanced stage and the airline will initially concentrate on domestic travel using the French made Turbo Prop ATR 42-500 and ATR 72-500 aircraft to be maintained by air Botswana.

“Research findings were that the Zambian macroeconomic indicators had been consistently good over a time frame of ten years. The research concluded that it is the good macroeconomic and stable political environment of the country that is attracting many foreign investors to Zambia in order to seize investment opportunities in various sectors including tourism,” he said.

Mr Chalwe noted that it is unfortunate that Zambians on the other hand have been left as spectators in their own country as they have not sized the opportunities, especially in big business mainly due to lack of capital and expertise in big business.

He commended government for its policy of promoting private sector development by creating an enabling environment as it is the private sector that creates jobs.

The company is expected to employ 35 people in its first year and an additional 54 people in the second year.

The airline is expected to be operational in July this year and its offices will be based in Livingstone.

And Livingstone Tourism Association Board Chairman, Active Monze, said once the airline is operational it will help improve domestic tourism as people will have a chance to visit tourism places in other parts of the country at a low price.

Mr Monze said for Livingstone to succeed in the tourism industry it needs to have good investment in it.

He said the organization is looking forward to working with the company as it will help ease movement of the local people as well as tourists who want to go to other places within Zambia.

And newly elected Livingstone Member of Parliament, Lawrence Evans, thanked the company for brining in a domestic airline for the main benefit of the local people.

Mr Evans said the project has been in the pipe line for a long time and that it is the type of investment that is much needed in Livingstone.

He noted that current airlines tend to monopolize the fares which disadvantage the local people who cannot afford the price.

ZANIS

The Zambian Government has ratified the SADC protocol on free movement of persons in a bid to attract foreign tourists.

Tourism and Arts Minister Sylvia Masebo announced that the ratification came into effect on Tuesday.

Mrs. Masebo made the announcement during the opening of a two day regional media training workshop on tourism and development in Lusaka.

She said the development means that Zambian citizens will not be subjected to VISA requirements when visiting any of the SADC countries that have equally ratified the SADC protocol on free movements of people.

“This practically means that Zambians would enjoy VISA free travel into any of the SADC countries that have ratified this protocol or at least be issued with a VISA at the point of entry. This is in the spirit of easing travel and consequently encouraging more foreign tourists,” Mrs Masebo said.

Ms Masebo, who was flanked by Information and Broadcasting Deputy Minister Mwansa Kapeya, said the ratification of free movement had made SADC countries to become one when it comes to movement.

“That is an important step to boost the movements of people and tourists in the region. For instance, going to Malawi, South Africa and other SADC countries now will be just as easy as going to my Constituency in Chongwe without any restrict.

It is very important issue for tourism to easy the movement of people as more tourists will flock to the country,” she said.

In Turkey, about 30 million tourists go that country and partly this is partly due to easy movement of people.

“As a country and continent, we must look at attracting more tourist arrivals and this can only be done by easing travels,” she said.

Ms Masebo also expressed hope that the yellow fever requirement would soon be addressed before the UNWTO general assembly.

She further called for the promotion of domestic tourism and urged citizens across Africa to consider taking their families for holidays to appreciate tourism.

“Good and positive news about tourism in Africa rarely makes the news headlines and it is crucial that the media in Africa identify the importance of tourism to promote economic development in the region.

We need to heal the current negative perceptions in the international media on Africa where they always report on Africa as a continent with wars and poverty when we have more tourism attractions and minerals than most countries in overseas,” she said.

Speaking at the same function, UNWTO Deputy Regional Director for Africa Helder Thomas aid the growth of tourism globally was expected to continue this year.

“In the case off Africa, despite of different crises and challenges faced, the continent exceeded for the first time the 50 million tourists in 2012 reaching 52.3 million tourist arrivals

UNWTO forecasts Africa will receive 85 million tourists by 2020 and 134 million by 2030,” he said.

Mr Thomas said the current share for Africa was five per cent of international tourist arrivals and it was projected that the figure would grow to six and seven per cent by 2020 and 2030 respectively.

He said tourism was directly responsible for five per cent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and six per cent of global trade and employs one out of 11 people.

“We need to create a continued dialogue between the private sector and the media as the two key to supporting the growth of tourism,” he said.

The SADC Protocol on free movement of persons was adopted in 2005 and seeks to fulfill the objectives of the SADC Treaty.

The treaty requires SADC countries to develop policies aimed at the progressive elimination of obstacles to the free movement of capital and labour, goods and services and of the people of the region.

Opposition political parties on the Copperbelt have expressed concern at the delay by the Patriotic Front Government to appoint a permanent chief justice.

And Movement for Multiparty Democracy Provincial Publicity Secretary Yotum Mutai Chalo says that government should put the matter to rest as it is not healthy for a democratic country like Zambia not to have a chief Justice.

United Party for National Development presidential trustee Connywell Sakala says it is unfortunate that government was drugging its feet to appoint chief justice to date.

“It is quiet unfortunate that the Patriotic Front government has drugged the people of Zambia this far when there are a lot of qualified people for this position”, Mr Sakala said.

ZANIS reports from Ndola that the opposition leaders said this in separate interviews, today.

He said there are three arms of government and all should function fully in order to supplement each other. He said once the people start doubting the courts of law it will lead to suspicions.

Mr. Sakala said government should elevate the deputy chief justice to the position of chief justice if they want a woman to fill up that position.

“We challenge the PF government to elevate the deputy chief justice if they want a woman to fill up the position”, he said.

Mr. Sakala however pointed out that the people of Zambia should refrain from appointing relations to higher posts as this may cost the country in future.

He said Zambia should continue living in the spirit of “one Zambia one Nation” as introduced by the first republican president Dr Kenneth Kaunda.

“We should not chose people from the same region when giving posts, let the same spirit that our president Dr Kenneth Kaunda brought of one Zambia one nation, and one nation one people among the people of Zambia continue”, he said.

And Movement for Multiparty Democracy Provincial Publicity Secretary Yotum Chalo says that government should put the matter to rest as it is not healthy for a democratic country like Zambia not to have a chief Justice.

Mr Chalo said that it has been one year and six months from the time the Patriotic Front was voted into government and there are still no signs of anyone occupying the office permanently.

He said that the absence of a full time chief justice is making it difficult to permanent reforms.

He added on that the president should heed advise from the committee in parliament on the appointment of a chief justice as the age of the of the acting chief justice disqualifies her.

ZANIS