The Industrial Development Cooperation says Zambia Airways, with tag line ‘the New Wings of Africa’, is a national pride aimed at restoring Zambia’s lost glory in the aviation industry.
Speaking when Zambia’s envoy to Ethiopia Emmanuel Mwamba hosted a dinner for a 25-member Zambia Airways trainee cabin crew in Addis Ababa, IDC human resource and administration manager Lizzie Mukwasa said the training of the crew in Ethiopia was a huge milestone as Zambia Airways prepared to launch the national carrier.
She said the crew had been selected on merit after a competitive process.
And Ambassador Mwamba said Zambia Airways had come at a critical time when Africa had just established the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) meant to accelerate trade on the continent.
He said the airline was a key driver in Zambia’s diversification and industrialisation policy aimed at promoting manufacturing, industrialisation, agro business and tourism.
Ambassador Mwamba said the airline was key in boosting both tourism and trade as Zambians would have an opportunity to manufacture goods and transport them without challenges across the continent.
He said the IDC should ensure that mistakes and bad business practices that saw the collapse of the previous national carrier were avoided.
Ambassador Mwamba urged the staff that would be training at Ethiopian Airline Academy to work hard and focus on the training.
Association of Zambians living in Ethiopia representative Milimo Ngululu commended the government for its decision to re-establish Zambia Airways.
Ethiopian Airline and Zambia Airways have signed a shareholding agreement to revive Zambia’s national airline more than 20 years after its closure.
This is according to Inutu Mwanza, first secretary-press/tourism at Zambia Embassy in Addis Ababa.
Source: The Mast