Mozambique Airlines (LAM) has publicly acknowledged that the reduction of its fleet to only three aircraft is the cause of frequent flight cancellations and rescheduling, exacerbating the state-owned company’s operational crisis.
At a press conference held on Thursday (24), LAM spokesman Alfredo Cossa admitted that the company faces a serious limitation in its passenger capacity following the withdrawal of two CRJ 900 aircraft operated by South African company CemAir, which terminated the contract unilaterally and without prior notice.
‘We are constantly rescheduling flights, and these reschedules are part of a cancellation process. We are experiencing cancellations and reschedules due to a lack of passenger capacity,’ said Cossa.
With the loss of the two aircraft, each with a capacity of 90 passengers, LAM’s fleet now consists of three aircraft: two Embraer 145s, with a capacity of 50 seats each, and another 37-seat aircraft, which, according to the company, does not operate regularly as it is not part of its assets.
The logistical collapse has intensified in recent weeks. On 13 April, the company cancelled domestic flights on the route between Maputo and Quelimane due to the breakdown of one of the few aircraft in operation, repeating a pattern of incidents that has affected hundreds of passengers across the country.
In response to the crisis, LAM is in negotiations with potential strategic partners to strengthen its fleet and ensure the continuity of operations.
At the beginning of the year, the company launched a tender for the procurement of new Embraer ERJ190 and Boeing 737-700 aircraft. The tender, published in January, called for expressions of interest from domestic and foreign companies or consortia by 7 February. However, no results or details on the number of aircraft sought have been released to date.
The current operational crisis has deep roots. In April 2023, South African company Fly Modern Ark (FMA) was hired to implement a revitalisation plan for the carrier, whose management was extended until September 2024. At the time, FMA identified accumulated debt of around US$300 million (19.2 billion meticals).
Meanwhile, the Public Prosecutor’s Office announced the opening of an investigation into the details of the agreement between FMA and the national authorities. At the same time, another investigation is continuing into alleged corruption schemes in ticket sales, involving the ownership and irregular use of automatic payment terminals, as well as the calculation of losses and identification of those responsible.
In February this year, the government authorised the sale of 91% of the state’s stake in LAM to Mozambican public companies, with the aim of financing the acquisition of eight new aircraft. The value of the transaction has not yet been officially disclosed.
LAM currently carries an average of 915 passengers per day on domestic and regional routes, but the continuity of this flow is compromised given the inadequacy of the fleet and the fragility of its operational structure.
Source: Lusa
