Air Malawi (Blantyre) has officially been replaced by Malawi Airlines (3W, Lilongwe International), the product of successful negotiations between the Malawian government and Ethiopian Airlines (ET, Addis Ababa International) begun earlier this year. Speaking at a press conference in Blantyre last week, the Chief Executive Officer of the Malawian Public Private Partnership Commission (PPPC), Mr Jimmy Lipunga, said the deal was now done, with Ethiopian Airlines holding a 49% stake while 31% would be open to Malawian investors with Government holding the rest (20%). The Ernst & Young team that is working on the Air Malawi project is the same team which helped in the establishment of ASKY Airlines (KP, Lomé) in 2010, in Togo. Mr Lipunga further added that USD20million would be injected into the new company to capitalise it while Ethiopian Airlines would introduce two aircraft (likely Dash 8-400s). Air Malawi Ltd is currently being liquidated with its former fleet - a B737-300, a B737-500 and an ATR42-300 - now up for sale to help raise funds to offset the former national carrier's debt burden.