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By Godfrey Olukya 19-3-2013
Plans are in final stages in Zambia to re-establish a national airline.
Zambian airways collapsed over ten years ago due to mismanagement. Currently, Zambia is among the few countries that do not own airlines.
Zambia’s minister for communication and transport Christopher Yaluma has said that the government is set to re-establish the airline and proposals will soon be tabled before Cabinet for approval.
Yaluma said the government had carried out feasibility studies and exhausted all possible means in as far as re-establishing the national airline was concerned. He said they have looked at all possibilities as to whether the government can go it alone or do it with partners.
Yaluma said,’ Discussions on the re-establishment of an airline have been concluded and that government would soon be handing the recommendations to relevant authorities and the cabinet for possible approval. We have advanced with our plans to re-establish the national airline.’
To show seriousness about the venture,the government has reportedly held several meetings with a number of airlines’ managements and other stakeholders interested in the re-establishment of the Zambian national airline.
Several African countries have successfully established and managed national airlines. Although some fully own the airlines like Ethiopian airline, Egypt Air, South African airways and Libya Arab airlines, others have shares in their national airlines.
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