As African skies reopen fully, more operators are ferociously seizing opportunity to claw back lost growth eroded in the COVID19 pandemic period when travel had halted. One such airline that demonstrated tenacity even in turbulent times in Proflight Zambia Limited, the largest indigenous airline in Africa’s second largest copper producer, Zambia. On Monday 29 May, Proflight announced addition of a Boeing 737- 500 to its fleet of 8 aircrafts comprising 3 50 – seater Bombardiers, 3 29 – seater Jetstreams and an 18 – seater Jetstream – 32 machines.
READ ALSO: CemAir to service Livingstone to Johannesburg route 7 times weekly
“We are thrilled to welcome the Boeing 737 aircraft to our esteemed fleet. This momentous occasion represents a significant milestone for Proflight Zambia, further emphasizing our commitment to providing exceptional service to our cherished customers. The advanced features of the Boeing 737 will enable us to offer an even more comfortable and enjoyable travel experience,” Captain Josias Walubita, Proflight Director of Flight Operations, expressed his excitement about the arrival of the Boeing 737.
Proflight’s tenacity in the Zambian aviation industry can be arguably measured by the extinction of about 4 airlines that struggled to be going concerns. The indigenous airline did not seize to fly even in the wake of the pandemic and has added regional routes that have seen the entity penetrate the South African skies a route most Zambians have appetite for.
“Zambia has not owned a Boeing in years since the last ones owned by defunct airlines. This is a very positive step by Proflight who are the definition on resilence in the aviation market. We have seen regional and local airlines come and go but Proflight has deservingly ridden the tide,” ZATU Financial Consultancy Managing Partner Munyumba Mutwale said. The aviation market is shifting steadily towards a competitive from an oligopoly which should start to suppress pricing as flying becomes affordable, he said.
Zambia’s economic outlook is a testament that the copper producer has opened up for business. Zambia’s rich endowment with resources and opportunity has kept the Southern African nation attractive to investors, tourists and other stakeholders who Proflights views as potential clients that it connects to destinations. The red metal hotspot continues to experience a travel boom both domestically and regionally. According to the Zambia Airports Corporation, 2023 air travel is expected to widen 27.4% from the 1.6 million passengers in 2022.
The aviation market globally continues to be hurdled by volatility in Jet Air fuel as geopolitical tensions weigh coupled with currency woes which does make energy costs high. Zambia’s aviation industry continues to be supported by a growing tourism and general economic growth supporting travel.
Proflight was incorporated in 1991 the year the Zambian economy was liberalized and was only in 2009 given approval to hit the skies. Proflight Zambia services both regional and domestic routes.
The Kwacha Arbitrageur
