The Zambia Airports Corporation Limited says it recorded a positive growth of 553,045 general passenger movements for the third quarter of 2018.
The Corporation says passenger numbers increased by 11.6 percent when compared to the same period last year.
ZACL Communications and Brand Manager Mweembe Sikaulu tells Money FM News that international passenger movements grew by 9.1 percent from 400,950 passengers in the third quarter of 2017 to 437,250 passengers in the third quarter of 2018.
Ms Sikaulu says 115,795 domestic passengers passed through the airports in comparison to 94,735 in the third quarter of 2017, a resultant increase of 22%.
“Continued domestic uplifts to Livingstone, Lusaka and Ndola by both Mahogany Air and Proflight Zambia giving a positive domestic variance of 21%, 28%, 26% and 15% respectively at Kenneth Kaunda, Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe, Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula and Mfuwe International Airports as compared to the same period last year. This signifies that an actual growth has been recorded, rather than a split in the passenger numbers following the introduction of Mahogany Air in August of 2017. Proflight Zambia introduced a bigger capacity aircraft in this period, a Boeing B737500 with 114 seats servicing domestic routes mostly between Lusaka, Livingstone and Ndola. However, this aircraft has since been withdrawn,” said Ms Sikaulu.
She notes that increased competition between Mahogany Air and Proflight Zambia has resulted in a reduction in ticket fares; this has attracted new travellers on the domestic front.
“The introduction of RwandAir flights on the Lusaka – Johannesburg route helped to stimulate traffic to Johannesburg. RwandAir further upgraded the fleet on the route to include the addition of an Airbus A330, with a seat capacity of 270 while maintaining other aircrafts such as the Boeing 737, Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet and a Bombardier Q400 on the route,” said Ms Sikaulu.
Ms Sikaulu further adds that during the third quarter of 2018, a total of 17,067 aircraft movements were recorded at the four international airports namely Kenneth Kaunda, Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe, Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula and Mfuwe International Airports.
“When compared to the same period last year which had 16,223 aircraft movements, there was a positive growth of 5.2%. Domestic aircraft movements increased by 11.1% from 9,104 aircraft movements in the third quarter of 2017 to 10,118 aircraft movements in the third quarter of 2018. Additionally, international aircraft movements reduced by 2.4% from 7,119 aircraft movements in the third quarter of 2017 to 6,949 aircraft movements in third quarter 2018,” she said.
On cargo movement when compared to the same period last year, Ms Sikaulu says cargo movement decreased by 7 percent in the third quarter of 2018 due to increased competition from the road sector that is less costly as well as the appreciated kwacha which resulted in reduction on exports via air transport by 15 percent.