The Confederation of Economic Associations (CTA) has described the licensing of Solenta Aviation — the private airline owner of Fastjet — for domestic flights as a key step in the liberalization and modernization of Mozambique’s civil aviation sector.
In a statement, the association noted that this move aligns with the implementation of the new legal framework regulating air transport in Mozambique. It added that opening the domestic market creates favorable conditions for increased competition, improved service quality, greater fare predictability, and lower transportation costs, with direct impacts on business competitiveness and national economic integration.
“Facilitating the mobility of people and goods between the country’s regions is a critical factor for the business environment, private sector dynamism, investment attraction, and the promotion of tourism and domestic trade. The new airline will contribute to greater connectivity, logistical efficiency, and territorial inclusion,” stated the CTA.
On Tuesday, 16 December, the Chairman of the Board of the Civil Aviation Institute of Mozambique (IACM), Emanuel Chaves, said that Solenta had effectively completed all phases required for its licensing without any outstanding issues. “They have fulfilled all the requirements that give them the right to operate in the domestic and regional markets.”
In October, the government had already announced that evaluation work was underway for the certification and licensing of Solenta Aviation Mozambique, with a view to operating domestic flights on several routes in the country.
Authorities clarified at the time that the administrative, legal, and economic analyses of the process had been completed, with only the technical-operational phase remaining, which is considered decisive for the final authorization of operations.
The licensing of Solenta Aviation Mozambique comes at a time when the IACM Chairman assured that airlines operating in the country would be expected to reduce airfares next year. According to him, a Master Plan detailing all measures and stages of the process will be submitted to the government to make this objective feasible.
