The government announced on Thursday, June 11, that direct flights connecting Nacala, in the province of Nampula in northern Mozambique, and Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, will begin in July, noting that the measure aims to boost tourism, trade, and investment.
Quoted by Lusa, Secretary of State for Tourism Fredson Bacar stated that the new air link is expected to strengthen international connectivity in the northern region, facilitating the movement of tourists, businesspeople, and investors, as part of efforts to promote economic and tourism potential.
“The launch of the route stems from agreements reached during President Daniel Chapo’s visit to Ethiopia in April, as part of efforts to strengthen economic and trade cooperation between the two countries,” the official noted.
For his part, the president of the Nacala District Business Council, Rukssati Muoti, noted that the route represents an opportunity to integrate the city into the main international circuits served by the Ethiopian airline.
Recently, the head of state announced that the government is negotiating with Ethiopian Airlines to increase air service to Mozambique, including the addition of two more weekly flights to the city of Beira in Sofala and the launch of a new international route to Nacala in Nampula province.
Chapo explained that the measure aims to improve the country’s connectivity and create more favorable conditions for attracting foreign investment. Currently, the Ethiopian carrier operates daily flights to Maputo and five weekly flights to Beira, a number that could rise to seven, allowing for daily operations in that city in the center of the country as well.
“We have daily flights to Maputo and five flights to Beira; now we’ll see if we can add two more, bringing the total to daily flights,” he said.
At the time, the President also noted that the government had expressed interest in opening a direct route to Nacala, highlighting the logistical and economic potential of that port city in the north of the country. “We also want to open a route to Nacala, which means our businesspeople can fly at any time to Maputo, Beira, and soon to Nacala as well,” he said.
