Sanday Chongo Kabange AfricaNews reporter in Lusaka, Zambia
As the global economies rebound from recession, one African airliner that was adversely battered by the meltdown has opened up new routes in west Africa as part of its financial recovery plan.
Air Namibia, the country’s national career, was in June this year forced to suspend its London flights after it recorded grave losses as a result of the global recession that has emerged as sub-prime mortgage crisis in the United States.
But as signs of recovery continue to breeze through most economies, Air Namibia has launched flight frequencies into west Africa and Ghana in particular.
Airline’s spokesperson, Hellena Kapiya said the routes to West Africa have been implemented as a cost cutting measure for the airline which used to depend on connection flights from Johannesburg for its west African passengers.
Kapiya said, “Africa needs to connect within itself at reasonable prices and for airlines to remain sustainable. These prices need to cover the cost of operating a scheduled flight too. Imagine flying from Windhoek to Casablanca through a connection flight in Europe”.
Kapiya has explained that the cost of the Ghana route is reasonable, adding that Air Namibia initially operated five flights with traffic rights to uplift passengers, baggage, cargo and air mail between Johannesburg and Accra through the Fifth Freedom Traffic Rights granted by the South African Government.
She stated that Air Namibia is now the only airline flying between Accra and Johannesburg as most of their competitors depend on connection routes through other cities and Europe.
Zambia’s privately owned, Zambezi Airlines has sealed a deal to operate regional flights into Malawi and Namibia.
Zambezi Airlines chief executive officer Cornwell Muleya told Africa News that the airliner will fly to Malawi, Namibia and Kenya.
“Yes, we have secured partnerships with other airlines in the region. We want to connect Africa via Lusaka, considering that we are in the central of the Africa. We are strategically unleashing our services to the rest of Africa,” Muleya said.
Zambia has not had a national carrier since the liquidation of loss making Zambia Airways in 1995 and the crumpling of privately operated Zambian Airways on January 10, 2009.
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