LAM Mozambique
Airlines is planning to
reintroduce a number
of routes following an
aircraft shortage last year
relating to maintenance
checks.
The airline is bringing its
Johannesburg-Tete direct
service back on February
3. Passengers have been
rerouted via Maputo since
July last year due to the
aircraft shortage.
However, TNW
canvassed numerous
agents, who are reluctant
to book the airline, citing
fears around the reliability
of the reintroduction and
a flight schedule that
does not suit corporates
as the main reasons.
Andree Venter, travel
manager for Corporate
First Travel, says traffic
on the Tete route has
predominantly been
corporates visiting
the nearby coal mine.
She says she would
confidently book the
Tete route for short-term
business trips, but would
not advise clients to
make forward bookings
more than two months
ahead of travel, to avoid
potential rerouting issues
should the schedule
change again.
Andree says, in Africa,
airlines frequently
introduce and withdraw
routes based on demand
for projects in an area.
The direct Tete flights
will operate on Sundays
and Wednesdays. Flight
TM335 will be operated
by a 50-seater aircraft
departing Tete at
11h05 and arriving in
Johannesburg at 13h25.
Flight TM334 departs
Johannesburg at 14h05,
arriving in Tete at 16h25.
Andree adds that a
thrice-weekly schedule
departing Mondays,
Wednesdays and Fridays
would be far more
appealing to corporates
travelling on this
route than the current
Wednesday and Sunday
schedule.
She explains that
corporates did not want
to spend their weekends
stuck on site.
Adil Ginabay, head of
marketing department
for LAM, says: “Last year
we operated with fewer
aircraft as some were
sent for ‘C’ checks.”
In addition to Tete,
the airline will also be
reintroducing services
between Beira and Tete
on Sundays, Mondays,
Wednesdays and
Fridays. Tete to Pemba
flights will be added on
Mondays and Fridays,
Beira to Pemba flights
will operate on Mondays
and Fridays and BeiraQuelimane flights will be
reintroduced on Tuesdays
and Thursdays. An
additional Beira-Nampula
flight will also be added
on Tuesdays.
Adil says the
airline is working on
reintroducing direct
flights from Johannesburg
to Inhambane and
Vilanculos. LAM is
working with suppliers to
source specific aircraft
that could land at these
airports, says Adil.
Currently, LAM flies from
Maputo to Johannesburg
twice a day and from
Nampula and Beira to
Johannesburg three times
a week.
