Zambia Airports Corporation Limited – ZACL whose mandate is to develop, maintain and manage the four international airports, namely Kenneth Kaunda in Lusaka, Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe in Ndola, Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula in Livingstone and Mfuwe and three Strategic and seven provincial aerodromes has continued to score notable progress with the launch of Air Tanzania flights into Zambia.
The results may have been long coming following the Zambian government investments of over $1.7 billion in airport infrastructure such as Livingstone’s ultra modern Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport – HMNIA, the under construction Lusaka’s Kenneth Kaunda International Airport -KKIA, the recently Flagged off construction of Copperbelt’s Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport – SMKIA. Some provincial airports are also under various stages of infrastructure uplift.
According to a statement made available to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, acting Minister of Transport and Communications Mutotwe Kafwaya who is Minster of Works and Supply, on Friday when he officiated at the launch of Air Tanzania’s inaugural flight into Zambia that took place at the Kenneth Kaunda International Airport said that tourism to Zambia is very important and the coming into the space by Air Tanzania was most welcome.
“Zambia boasts of one of the Seven (7) Wonders of the World which is the Victoria Falls and anyone wanting to view it must visit Zambia and the Republic of Tanzania is not just a good neighbour to Zambia but a key strategic partner in promoting both economic and social development, a relationship that can be exemplified by some of the assets co-owned by the two countries such as TAZARA, and the pipeline”, Kafwaya said.
The Minister added that the direct route that was being launched are going to make sure that the travelling public get the maximum benefits of an enabled environment. He further noted that the launch of the airline was going to make people’s lives in both countries much better.
“Zambia’s aviation connectivity improves by way of many carriers choosing to fly into “Destination Lusaka”, the aviation sector is poised for significant growth and this would also answer to the new transport policy pronouncement of transforming the country into an inter-model transport and logistics hub for the Southern African Region”, he said.
Kafwaya re-iterated that during the 2018 period, the aviation industry recorded a positive growth of 11% in general passenger movements and international passenger numbers grew by 8%. The domestic market grew even more by 23% indicating a shift in the traveling pattern as people are now choosing to travel by air than by road as it has been traditionally in the past.
He said that in order to support the aviation sector and to ensure sustainable growth of the industry, the Ministry of Transport and Communication approved incentives for the new airlines to ensure the attraction of more airlines in to the country. He said that the move is the promotion of the people and the services to be rendered were for the benefit of the people and better their lives.
And his Tanzanian counterpart, Minister of Works, Transport and Communication Isaac Kamwele said that the launch of the flight into Zambia brings a solution of flying quickly and affordable between the two countries and that it would smoothen and accelerate business activities. “The direct flights would promote tourism, agriculture culture and other business activities as it would also support the strategies of the income increase and contribute towards economic growth of both countries. And Air Tanzania is here to stay in serving Zambians and this would be its home”, said Kamwele.
ZACL has a unique chance to go for and grab the coveted position of being a transport hub for the Central and Southern African region. With Zambia having the geographically central position, warm and welcoming people, the security concerns in Kenya and the relative slow down of the South African economy coupled with reported troubles with the state owned South African Airways – SAA, ZACL is well positioned to take an aim and become the regional air transport hub.
There is need for a clear competitive scan and setting of strategies objectives that could bring the major airlines into Zambia. When the talk of diversification is discussed, the focus is usually on Agriculture, but the transport sector which has relatively higher margins and can support a high end value chain for food, tourism and engineering services can be harnessed to become a main economic earner for the country.
