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Showing posts with label Malawi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Malawi. Show all posts

Thursday, March 28, 2013

► MALAWI: Ulendo Airlink releases its Low & High Season domestic schedule for 2013/2014.

Ulendo Airlink logoUlendo Airlink (7Q), the trading name for Nyasa Express - the aviation division of Malawi’s Ulendo Travel Group - has outlined its High Season (01JUL13 - 31OCT13) and Low Season (15MAR13 - 30JUN13 & 01NOV13 - 15JAN14) domestic timetable.

Monday, March 25, 2013

► MALAWI: Nyassa Air Taxi, Wilderness Safaris enter into partnership.

Nyassa Air Taxi, a Private Charter and Fly-In Safari company operating out of Lilongwe and Blantyre, has partnered Wilderness Safaris Malawi in offering guests direct access to the best rates for fly-in safaris and charters in Malawi and its neighbouring countries.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

► TURKEY: Turkish Cargo looking to add 10 additional stations in Africa before 2014.

Turkish Cargo logoTurkish Cargo, the cargo division of Turkish Airlines (TK) plans to add a further 10 operational stations in Africa before the end of the year says Halit Anlatan, Turkish Cargo VP of Sales & Marketing.

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

■ MALAWI: Ethiopian Airlines confirms talks have begun with Government over 49% stake in Air Malawi, choice of local partner.

EthiopianAfter being declared the "preferred bidder" for a stake in Malawi's now dissolved national carrier Air Malawi (QM), Ethiopian Airlines (ET) says it has officially entered into negotiations with the government regarding its 49% buy-in.

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

► ZAMBIA: Proflight set to take delivery of a 737 in May for use on Lusaka - Livingstone flights during UNWTO.

Proflight ZambiaDomestic operator Proflight Zambia (P0), is looking to take delivery of a Boeing 737-200ADV in late April for use on its domestic routes during the upcoming XXth United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) General Assembly to be jointly held in Livingstone & Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in August this year.

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

■ MALAWI: Massive civil servant strike forces closure of Lilongwe & Blantyre airports.

MalawiAs they had previously threatened, civil servants in Malawi have gone on strike over payrise demands, thus bringing the country to a virtual standstill with Lilongwe's Kamuzu International Airport, and later Blantyre's Chileka International Airport, having being forced to close.

Friday, February 15, 2013

■ MALAWI: Ethiopian Airlines wins 49% stake in renewed Malawian national carrier.

Air MalawiEthiopian
Leading on from our previous post, Malawi's Privatization Commission yesterday declared Ethiopian Airlines (ET) the winner of the 49% Foreign Shareholder stake up for grabs in a renewed Malawian national carrier, set to succeed the quasi-defunct Air Malawi (QM). The Ethiopian national carrier was named the preferred bidder for the position of strategic partner in the new airline, Air Malawi (2012) Limited, based on its "global experience and competitiveness".

Thursday, February 14, 2013

► MALAWI: Air Malawi ceases all flights as new foreign investor to be announced in due course.

Air MalawiMalawi's beleaguered national carrier, Air Malawi (QM), has officially ceased flights with 243 employees also having been laid off, as the airline is liquidated in preparation for the founding of a new privatized venture, Air Malawi 2012.

Thursday, February 7, 2013

► ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe to get two ERJ135s; to start Munich, London, Nairobi, Mauritius flights in March?

Air ZimbabweA new dossier on Air Zimbabwe (UM) entitled "Aircraft rotation for summer 2013" purportedly showing the carrier's service resumption plans for Summer 2013, has been published with Embraer Regional Jets set to join the fleet. Additionally, flights to the UK, Germany, Ghana, Mauritius, Kenya and Nigeria are planned.

Monday, January 14, 2013

► MALAWI: British Airways, Emirates and Qatar Airways interested in starting flights: Government.

MalawiMalawi's Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Economic, Ted Sitimawina, has disclosed that British Airways (BA), Qatar Airways (QR) and Emirates (EK) have all expressed interest in starting flights to the landlocked Central African country, a move that would help to drive down the exorbitant cost of air travel to the country.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

■ MALAWI: Establishment of new Airports Authority to aide improvement of ageing airport infrastructure.

MalawiThe Malawian Government is optimistic that the establishment of a new independent airports management company - the Malawi Airports Authority - will provide the country with a unique opportunity to improve its ageing infrastructure.

Friday, December 28, 2012

■ MALAWI: Over 240 Air Malawi employees face lay offs as privatization drive begins to hurt.

Air Malawi (QM) Ltd is to send "up to 243 employees" on leave pending retrenchment and retirement as part of the government's restructuring of the company, currently being overseen by the Privatization Commission.

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

► MALAWI: Ethiopian Airlines to start Blantyre flights from March 2013.

EthiopianEthiopian Airlines (ET) continues its push into southern Africa with the launch in Summer 2013 of a service to Malawi's commercial hub, Blantyre. The new 3x weekly, Boeing 737-800 operated route, Addis Ababa - Lilongwe - Blantyre - Addis Ababa, begins 31 March 2013.

■ MALAWI: Privatization Commission unveils shortlisted bidders for Air Malawi; Ethiopian in, BA Comair out.

Malawi's Privatization Commission, the governmental department charged with overseeing the sell off and eventual privatization of national carrier Air Malawi (QM), has announced a shortlist of 5 potential investors for Air Malawi (2012) Limited, whittled down from the original 11.

Thursday, December 6, 2012

■ MALAWI: Strike by DCA workers at Lilongwe's Kamuzu Int'l Airport causes serious delays, disruptions.

MalawiGround-handling staff at Lilongwe's Kamuzu International Airport (KIA) have, since Monday, abandoned their night shifts at the airport, amidst other industrial action, in protest at unpaid overtime allowances that they claim "date back years."

Friday, November 16, 2012

■ MALAWI: Ethiopian Airlines, Comair Ltd express interest in 49% stake in Air Malawi.

The Malawian government this afternoon announced that a liquidator had been appointed for Air Malawi Ltd (QM) in order to facilitate the speedy settlement of its debts and liabilities as it moves ahead with the restructuring of the struggling national airline. Additionally, a short-list of possible investors has also been announced with Ethiopian Airlines, and twice shy suitor Comair Ltd in the running.

Thursday, September 6, 2012

► MALAWI: Air Malawi to be unbundled before privatization.

As Joyce Banda's Malawian government pushes on with its cost cutting measures aimed at freeing the ailing African nation's fiscus from millstone parastatals, up for sale is Air Malawi (QM) Ltd, in which the Malawian Government has pledged to honour all the national flag carrier's debts and liabilities as part of a deal sweetener. 

Monday, July 9, 2012

► MALAWI: Swift Air grounded by courts as Government mulls Air Malawi's future following huge losses.

SwiftairPrivately owned Malawian airline Swift Air has been grounded by the Malawian courts and had its property in Lilongwe attached over outstanding rental fees and monies owed to Air Malawi, the Airport Development Limited (ADL), and various independent travel agents.

Reports claim that employees at the family run company had not reported for work since May and that the airline's headquarters in Lilongwe had subsequently remained shut. Despite all this it is alleged, the airline still remained operative, albeit by proxy i.e using other carriers to ferry passengers under their trade name.
"An employee who held a senior position at the company but spoke on strict condition of anonymity told Zodiak that the CEO left two months ago amid pressure from the debtors.
“When all our planes were suspended two months ago due to financial challenges, the owner decided to continue selling tickets and in turn use Air Malawi to fly the customers,” said the employee adding; “The debt with Air Malawi rose to millions and she decided again to use independent travel agents to book our customers on air Malawi flights but she has failed to pay them too.”"

Prior to its grounding Swift Air operated domestically between Lilongwe, Blantyre, Mzuzu, Karonga with a single regional flight operated to Johannesburg, South Africa whilst their fleet consisted of a South African leased McDonnell Douglas DC-9 (ZS-GAU?), an Embraer 120 (9J-RYL) and a Beechcraft 1900D. All of have either been returned to their respective owners or grounded as a result of the financial crisis at Swift Air.

Swift Air DC9 at Lilongwe
Swift Air Malawi's lone DC9 at Lilongwe (SwiftAir)

Founded in January 2011, the airline was seen as a viable alternative to the unreliable parastatal Air Malawi, whose own future has been called into doubt over heavy continuous annual losses, which for the year 2011, amounted to MWK1.1billion.  The losses have been attributed to Air Malawi's continued use of leased aircraft for operations; a reliable if very expensive way to operate.

In addition, new president Joyce Banda's financial reforms have seen the Malawian currency, the Kwacha, lose 33% of its value overall after a devaluation was effected in order to help resuscitate the then ailing Malawian economy. The loss in value of the currency means the airline has had to deal with declining hard currency revenues locally to meet its foreign debts.

"With devaluation, our traffic has gone down as less and less people are able to travel," said Air Malawi's Director of Marketing Tony Chimpukuso Wednesday.
"And we are still waiting for the new government to state their position on Air Malawi. The previous government was not interested in us. They just wanted us to close down," h e said.
Chimpukuso said lack of equipment, costs incurred to put passengers on other airlines during breakdowns and last year's 10 percent devaluation of the kwacha contributed significantly to the losses at the airline.
The Malawi Institution of Engineers (MIE) recently called on government to make a concrete stand on Air Malawi if the country's air transport sector is to be revamped.

However all is not lost for the Malawian national carrier as it seems their cargo department at London Heathrow is slowly but surely regaining its market share after years of neglect. New capable staff have been hired in attempt to woe back lost business.
"Air Malawi which in the recent years had been dogged with a surmount of difficulty in its operations seems to be crawling back to serious business with a full force as it has just revamped its cargo services department at its offices at Heathrow Airport, London in the United Kingdom (UK) with a an improved service delivery."

So, whilst a market for sending home goods from abroad does most certainly exist, all that needs to be done is to organize an efficient and well run organization to do it.

Easier said than done in Africa sadly...


Monday, June 11, 2012

► TANZANIA: Precision Air further delays Harare & Lilongwe to August amid strong growth.

Precision Air Tanzanian carrier Precision Air (PW) over the weekend announced that its planned new routes to Harare, Zimbabwe and Lilongwe, Malawi, would only begin "in August this year" instead of early July as originally planned as the airline intends to await the arrival of more aircraft prior to servicing the new routes.