‘THINK SERIOUSLY ABOUT YOUR FUTURE‘ DOES #MOZAMBIQUE TRANSPORT MINISTER TELL #LAM
(Posted 11th November 2017)
Only recently in the bad news when the Mozambique national airline LAM announced they would halt flights to Inhambane and Vilankulo – essentially dealing a death blow to the local tourism industries in these locations – did the carrier get an earful from Transport Minister Carlos Mesquita last week.
The Minister told them in no uncertain terms that they either shape up and define their future or else face the consequences of increased competition.
The Minister sounded the warning in Beira where he was at hand to welcome the inaugural flight of Fastjet, a South Africa based but London Stock Exchange quoted company which started operations using the AOC of one of their major shareholders, Solenta Aviation. Besides Beira is Fastjet also flying from Maputo to Tete and Nampula but more destinations are planned, very likely to airports deserted by the national airline.
Fastjet is reportedly also planning to start regional services and Johannesburg, Lusaka and Harare have been mentioned already as potential targets.
Mozambique for long made competitive air transport, both domestic and regional, almost impossible but the economic changes the country is undergoing has seen this tabu lifted and Fastjet’s operation is among the first to be given traffic rights to local airports.
