Ethiopian participates in re-launching of Zambia Airways

Ethiopian Airlines, the largest aviation group in Africa, is pleased to announce that it has finalized preparations for the launch of Zambia’s National Carrier in a joint venture with Zambia’s Industrial Development Corporation Limited (IDC). Ethiopian has a 45 percent stake in the joint venture while IDC retains 55 percent, the shareholders have contributed USD30 million in capital towards the establishment of the airline.

The new Zambia Airways (ZN) is to join the African sky with its initial domestic flight from Lusaka to Ndola on 1st December 2021 and it will operate at a frequency of six and five times a week to Ndola and Livingstone, respectively. Other domestic routes to Mfuwe and Solwezi will follow before introducing regional destinations, to Johannesburg and Harare, to its network within the first quarter of 2022.

Mr Tewolde GebreMariam, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines remarked: “The strategic equity partnership in the launching of Zambia’s national carrier is part of our Vision 2025 multiple-hub strategy in Africa. Ethiopian is committed to its growth plan in collaboration with African carriers and the new Zambia Airways will serve as a strong hub in Central and Southern Africa availing domestic, regional and eventually international air connectivity for passengers and cargo to the major destinations in the Middle East, Europe and Asia, which will enhance the socio-economic integration and tourism industry in Zambia and the region”

Through its multiple-hub strategy in Africa, Ethiopian currently operates hubs in Lomé (Togo) with ASKY Airlines, Malawian in Lilongwe (Malawi), Tchadia in N’Djamena (Chad) and Ethiopian Mozambique in Maputo (Mozambique) while having the already acquired stakes in Guinea’s and Democratic Republic of Congo’s national carriers.

Addis Ababa 29 November 2021

Historical note

The widebody era arrived in 1984 with the acquisition of a DC-10. This was the only widebody used by Zambia Airways and was used to open a route to New York via Monrovia. This first DC-10, registered number 348 and christened “Nkwazi”, was reportedly a point of national pride for many Zambian citizens. In 1989, a second DC-10 was leased from Sabena and later Lufthansa to help operate long-haul flights from Lusaka to London, Frankfurt, Rome, Larnaca, as well as a weekly service non-stop to Bombay in cooperation with Air India.

Zambia Airways went out of business when it ceased operations in December 1994. Mounting debts and losses forced the government to put the airline into liquidation that month.