FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WITH PICTURES
SEPTEMBER 9 2023
PROFLIGHT TAKES DELIVERY OF TWO MORE CRJ JETS
LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – It has been an exciting week for Proflight Zambia and the local aviation sector, as the airline took successful delivery of two additional Bombardier CRJ jets, bringing its total to five.
The latest additions to the airline’s expanding fleet are a parcel freighter which touched down on Sunday, and was followed by the arrival of its fourth passenger jet on Saturday, September 9.
Captain Josias Walubita, Director of Flight Operations at Proflight Zambia, expressed his delight, saying: “This development means a lot to Proflight’s growth and the development of the nation’s aviation industry.”
Proflight’s continuous expansion efforts underscore its dedication to contributing to the growth of the local aviation sector. The addition of the aircraft marks an exciting chapter in the airline’s growth and promises increased passenger capacity and enhanced cargo transportation services both locally and regionally. It also comes at an opportune time and aligns with the direction of government to prioritize the upgrade of provincial airport services and facilities as indicated by President Hakainde Hichilema in his opening remarks at the third session of the 13th Parliament yesterday.
The first aircraft, the CRJ100 Parcel Freighter, commenced its journey from Calgary – under the command of Captain Frederik Host-Madsen of MOVE, with assistance from Captain Johan Oredsson, on September 1, 2023, at 16:00 local time. It was ferried from Calgary to Goose Bay on the East Coast of Canada, then across the North Atlantic to Keflavik, Iceland. The aircraft continued its journey to Ljubljana, Slovenia, before departing for Jedda, Saudi Arabia, and Nairobi, Kenya. Finally, it landed in Lusaka, Zambia, at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport on Sunday.
The second aircraft, a CRJ200 passenger jet equipped with a spacious baggage bay, departed from Calgary on Wednesday, September 6th, following the same routing as the previous aircraft and arrived at KKIA in Lusaka on Friday, September 8. This brings Proflight’s total seating capacity to 460 – a significant increase from 205 in 2022 and 137 in the 2019 pre-COVID-19 period.
As Zambia seeks to enhance its capacity in the aviation sector, the increased passenger capacity and cargo facilities being introduced by airlines such as Proflight are a sign of the commitment that private sector players have in creating a thriving airline industry in Zambia. The benefits from such sustained growth can have a long-term positive impact on job creation, tourism, and international trade connections among others.
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About Proflight Zambia
Proflight Zambia was established in 1991 and is Zambia’s leading scheduled airline. From its base in Lusaka its domestic routes include Livingstone, Mfuwe, Ndola, Solwezi, Kalumbila, Mansa, and Jeki/Royal airstrips in Lower Zambezi, and regionally to Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town in South Africa from Lusaka.
The airline prides itself in providing a safe, reliable, efficient and friendly service, and offering good value to business and leisure travellers locally and internationally.
The airline operates a 126-seat 737-500 aircraft, four 50-seater Bombardier CRJ-100/200 jets, a Bombardier CRJ-100 parcel freighter, four 29-seater Jetstream 41 aircraft and one 18-seater Jetstream 32 aircraft.
More information is available at www.flyzambia.com.
For media inquiries, please contact: Gillian Langmead at Langmead & Baker Ltd;
+260 979 060705;
info@langmead.com