The Zambia Airports Corporation Limited – ZACL has recorded a reduction of 19,140 passers at its four international airports in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the same period last year.
The corporation recorded a total number of 394,821 general passengers this year, down from 413,961 in the first quarter of 2018 at all four international airports namely Kenneth Kaunda – KKIA, Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe – SMKIA, Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula – HMNIA and Mfuwe.
In a statement made available to the Zambian Business Times – ZBT, Zambia Airport Communications and Brand Manager Mweembe Sikaulu said general managers include both arriving and departing passengers, transit passengers, domestic and international passenger.
The records indicate that there were 66,353 domestic passengers that passed through
the airports in quarter one of 2019 in comparison to 66,729 in the first quarter of 2018 resulting in a decrease of -0.6 per cent adding that Similarly international passengers decreased by 18,764 resulting in a decline of -5.4 per cent increment compared to 2018.
Sikaulu said the notable factors that were attributed for the decline include cancellation of scheduled flights during this quarter by Kenya Airways, South African Airways and Ethiopian Airways each owing to various factors.
In addition, she said the continued suspension of flights by Fastjet Airlines to Dar-es-Salaam and Proflight to Harare also contributed to decline in passengers.
“The general Passenger Movement Performance by Airports indicate that Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport grew by 3.8% compared to the same period last year. The other airports namely Kenneth Kaunda, Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe and Mfuwe International Airports declined by -6.1%, -4.1% and -11.6% respectively compared to the same period last year,” she said.
Meanwhile, on the Aircraft Movement during the first quarter of 2019, Sikaulu told ZBT that a total of 11,319 aircraft movements were recorded at the four international airports in Lusaka, Livingstone, Ndola and Mfuwe compared 10,833 aircraft movements recorded in the same period last year indicating a growth of 4.5%.
