On 21 December, Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (LAM) begins operations between the South African Lanseria site, where thousands of Mozambican miners are employed, and Xai Xai airport, marking the first major commercial venture of this infrastructure.
“We know there are our brothers there who usually come back in droves at the end of the year. According to the information we have, there are about 5,000 miners there,” explained LAM commercial director Firmino Naftal, speaking to reporters at the airport. international conference in Cape Town, South Africa.
He added that the service between Lanseria on the outskirts of Johannesburg and Felipe Jacinto Nyusi Airport in Gaza Province in the south of the country will have four daily flights from December 21 to 24, which will resume after the new year period to take them back to the mines in South Africa.
The airport was opened by Mozambican Head of State Filipe Nyusi on November 11, 2021, but has seen virtually no commercial activity since then, making this LAM’s first major infrastructure operation.
“We know that Gaza and Inhambane provinces are home to many South African communities that need these services. If consolidation happens, we will actually be able to continue this operation,” admitted Firmino Naftal to Cape Town, South Africa, which debuted Tuesday and today on a connecting flight to and from Maputo, simultaneous with a flight to and from Lisbon.
This will be LAM’s third destination in South Africa, from which it already flies to Johannesburg and Cape Town international airports.
LAM’s flight network covers 12 domestic destinations, in addition to Johannesburg, Dar Es Salaam, Harare, Lusaka and now Cape Town, on regional routes, operating over 40 flights daily on Boeing 737 aircraft, three Bombardier Q400s, two Bombardier CRJ 900s and two Embraer 145s are operated by MEX subsidiary Moçambique Expresso.
The Cape Town and Lisbon destinations, which also debuted on Tuesday and this Wednesday, are part of the operator’s revival plan after South African company Fly Modern Ark (FMA) took over LAM in April this year.
LAM aims to double its fleet to at least 22 aircraft by 2027, the Mozambican flagship company’s management previously told Lusa.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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