Airbus (AIB, Toulouse Blagnac) and rival Boeing (BOE, Washington National) have both made pitches to the Zambian government concerning possible fleeting plans for its proposed new national carrier. Zambian Deputy Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications, Panji Kaunda, confirmed to the Lusaka Times that his government had received formal bids from the manufacturers but that no decision had yet been made.
“Yes I can confirm that Airbus and Boeing have expressed interest to offer us their latest planes to kick start our national airline. This is good development and it will help us access the kind of airplanes which should purchase as we start the project,” Mr. Kaunda said. “At this stage, it may not be appropriate for me to disclose further details about the negotiations with the two firms but I can tell you that as Government we are fully committed to getting this project off the ground,” he added.
While Minister of Transport, Works, Supply and Communications, Yamfwa Mukanga, had earlier this year set a June launch deadline, Kaunda has now deferred that date until year-end.
Lusaka has already approached Qatar Airways (QR, Doha Hamad International) in the hopes the Qatari carrier would be a participant in the venture.
Government's last foray into the scheduled carrier market, Zambia Airways (1964) (Lusaka), collapsed in 1995 when World Bank-prescribed economic policies forced Lusaka to cut state-subsidies to the loss-making carrier.
