Policy enthusiast speaks on Zambia Airways, calls for two years performance review

Centre for Trade Policy and Development (CTPD) Executive Director, Isaac Mwaipopo, has demanded a performance update for the country’s airline, Zambia Airways.

Mwaipopo in an interview on Wednesday with Zambia Monitor expressed necessity for stakeholders to get an update on the performance of the airline to ultimately track if the investment was yielding positive results, and not bearing a flag carrier.

Mwaipopo, while acknowledging that the aviation sector had been hit by Covid-19 pandemic in the past, said it was important to track the investment made in the airline to ensure it was not a drain on the national treasury.

“We do understand that the sector was hit hard by Covid-19 and a number of airlines were struggling to find feet, but as we are looking at our efforts to participate in aviation sector through Zambia airways, we should also be cognisant of the implications it always comes with it,” he said.

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Zambia Airways marked a significant milestone in its journey of growth and expansion as it welcomed its newly acquired Boeing 737-800 aircraft recently.

The latest aircraft, touched down at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport (KKIA) on Wednesday last week.

Commenting on this development, Mwaipopo said beyond the procurement of a second bigger plane, Zambia airways should also give an update with regards to the performance of the airline.

“It is not just enough to celebrate the arrival of a plane, it would be very important that equally we do get an update with regards to the performance of Zambia airways for the past one or two years it has been in existence so that ultimately we can track our investments if at all it is yielding results or it is just a flag carrier which is a drain on our treasury,” he said.

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