Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (LAM) plans to launch flights to Brazil, China and India in 2024, the state-owned company announced today, at the debut of flights between Maputo and Cape Town, South Africa.
“It’s a possibility and it’s in our strategic plan to operate at least two to three intercontinental destinations next year [in addition to Lisbon, which also started today],” said LAM’s commercial director, Firmino Naftal, speaking to journalists at Cape Town International Airport.
The Mozambican airline today launched its first flight between Maputo and Cape Town – with three weekly frequencies – a connection that currently handles more than 200,000 passengers a year via other companies. Cape Town airport alone has welcomed seven new international routes this year, including LAM.
“It will unite the two countries, through the two cities,” he said, referring to the Mozambican company’s new connection to one of South Africa’s most important cities.
Next year, LAM’s plan is to launch connections from Maputo to São Paulo (Brazil), Mumbai (India) and Guangzhou (China), according to the company’s commercial director, who presented this strategy today to South African tour operators.
“We’ve now launched these two routes, Cape Town [Cape Town] and Lisbon, and we hope that by April they will be well consolidated, before moving on to the next ones,” added Firmino Naftal.
At the same time, he added, LAM already has a team in Malawi to start flights between the two countries in the coming weeks, given the demand already identified in the neighbouring country.
“We will soon be able to announce this connection,” he said.
LAM’s flight network covers 12 destinations on the domestic market, as well as Johannesburg, Dar es Salaam, Harare, Lusaka and now Cape Town on regional routes, operating more than 40 flights a day using one Boeing 737, three Bombardier Q400s, two Bombardier CRJ 900s and two Embraer 145s operated by subsidiary MEX – Moçambique Expresso.
The Cape Town and Lisbon destinations are part of the operator’s revitalisation plan, after the South African company Fly Modern Ark (FMA) took over management of LAM in April this year.
LAM intends to double its fleet of aircraft to at least 22 by 2027, the Mozambican flag carrier’s management previously told Lusa.
Lusa