Consortium relaunches  $3m airline

Mon, 03 Apr 2017 13:03:44 +0000

A CONSORTIUM of investors from Zambia and Dubai have invested US$3 mil-lion for the recapitalisation of Mahogany Airline scheduled to start full opera-tions this year of 2017.

Mahogany Air chief executive officer Jim Belemu said the airline, which entered the Zambian aviation industry in 2014 to conduct a pilot project, was ready to start operations and had since attracted US$3 million investment.

Dr Belemu explained that the new investors would also inject in the business US$10 million next year and another US$10 million in 2019 respectively.

“With the creation of new mines especially in North Western Province, the airline business is expected to receive a massive boost. In addition, the economic envi-ronment now is conducive for sustainable aviation business,” he said.

He said the airline would cover most domestic routes countrywide and eventual-ly regional routes during the course of operations.

Dr Belemu explained that the company would start with two aircraft.

The airline was poised to employ between 40-100 highly skilled personnel, while contributing to the tourism industry in Zambia.

Dr Belemu explained that  the airline had entered into an agreement with Sahara Aviation in South Africa to conduct training for pilots and cabin crew and that a batch of 15 crew members were scheduled to travel for training this month.

He also said the company was ready to work with Government in creating em-ployment for local people to contribute towards economic and national develop-ment.

He said the new airports under construction countrywide would create a plat-form for conducive airline business.

“Government under the leadership of President Edgar Lungu has shown com-mitment in supporting the aviation industry. This can be seen from among other projects the on-going construction of a modern and international standard air-ports set to be commissioned in 2018,” he said.