Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (LAM) blamed Portuguese company EuroAtlantic this Monday, 15 January, for the problems in operating flights on the route between Maputo and Lisbon, claiming that the company had not paid for the rental of the aircraft.
In a statement sent to Lusa, the Mozambican airline explained that on Saturday it had to cancel the flight between Lisbon and Maputo “due to problems with the aircraft supplier, Euro Atlantic Airways (EAA)”.
“The moment before the passengers boarded in Lisbon, LAM learnt that the supplier had not paid the owner of the aircraft used and that the latter, in turn, had ordered that the aircraft not be used,” it reads.
Lusa tried to contact EuroAtlantic – LAM’s partner in the resumption of this route after a 12-year hiatus – about the matter, but has received no reply so far. Faced with this situation, the airline explains that it “made efforts to materialise the flight, which came to fruition on Sunday 14 January, using an aircraft from another operator”.
On the Maputo – Lisbon route, the next flight will take place on Tuesday at 03:00 local time (01:00 in Lisbon), it adds.
“While these actions were taking place, passengers and those who expressed an interest in travelling with other operators were granted accommodation. Refunds were also granted to passengers who expressed their intention not to continue on the flight,” the Mozambican state carrier emphasises.
LAM returned to flights to Lisbon on 12 December, using a 302-seat Boeing 777, the result of a partnership with Portuguese operator EuroAtlantic, connecting the two capitals three times a week.
The Maputo-Lisbon route, abandoned by the company almost 12 years ago, is part of the operator’s revitalisation plan, after the South African company Fly Modern Ark (FMA) took over management of LAM in April last year for the restructuring process.
The operation to return LAM to European airspace costs around two million dollars (1.8 million euros) a month, the company’s general manager said on 13 December.
“This operation has several cost elements. The immediate fixed cost is around two million dollars a month,” said João Carlos Pó Jorge.
The ongoing strategy to revitalise the company follows years of operational problems related to a reduced fleet and a lack of investment, with a number of non-fatal incidents linked by experts to inefficient aircraft maintenance.
LAM’s flight network has 12 destinations on the domestic market, regionally it flies regularly to Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam, Harare, Lusaka and Cape Town, while Lisbon has been the only intercontinental destination since 12 December.
LAM operates more than 40 flights a day, using its fleet of one Boeing 737, three Q400s, two Bombardier CRJ 900s and two Embraer 145s operated by its subsidiary Moçambique Expresso (MEX).
