Domestic air transport in Mozambique saw a 14% drop in the number of passengers carried in 2025, amid operational difficulties at Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (LAM), according to data released by the Mozambican Civil Aviation Institute (IACM), as reported by Lusa.
According to the report from the civil aviation regulatory authority, domestic flights carried 1.066 million passengers in 2025, compared to 1.237 million recorded the previous year.
The document cites the operational constraints faced by LAM as one of the main factors behind the decline in domestic air traffic, highlighting the unavailability of aircraft and the reduction in flight frequencies on various routes throughout the year.
At the same time, aircraft movements on domestic flights also fell by 12%, from 38,089 movements in 2024 to 33,580 in 2025. According to the IACM, this decline was linked to delays, cancellations, and route suspensions, during a period when rising fuel costs, aircraft maintenance, and other operational expenses exacerbated pressure on the aviation sector.
In the African regional segment, the number of passengers carried from Mozambique also fell by 5%, totaling 546,906 passengers. In contrast, intercontinental flights saw a 7% increase, reaching 231,282 passengers, driven by the gradual recovery of international demand.
IACM data also indicates that, by the end of 2025, Mozambique had 88 registered aircraft, operated by 14 commercial carriers, in addition to 12 airports, 256 public airfields, and 21 private airfields.
In light of the state-owned airline’s persistent difficulties, the government moved forward in May 2025 with a restructuring process for LAM, including the introduction of new aircraft in the following months.
Meanwhile, the private airline Solenta is preparing to enter the Mozambican domestic market after obtaining an operating license from the IACM in December. The carrier plans to begin operations in the second half of 2026, with its operational base in the city of Beira.
Solenta announced that it will initially operate three Embraer 145 aircraft, each with a capacity of 50 passengers, on routes between Maputo, Beira, Tete, Quelimane, and Nampula.
