President Daniel Chapo announced that the government is negotiating with Ethiopian Airlines to increase air service to Mozambique, including the addition of two weekly flights to the city of Beira and the opening of a new international route to Nacala, in Nampula Province.
Speaking during a review of his two-day official visit to Ethiopia, the head of state explained that the measure aims to improve the country’s connectivity and create more favorable conditions for attracting foreign investment. Currently, the Ethiopian carrier operates daily flights to Maputo and five weekly flights to Beira, a number that could rise to seven, allowing for daily operations in that central city as well.
“We have daily flights to Maputo and five flights to Beira; now we’ll see if we can add two more, bringing the total to daily flights,” he stated.
The President also noted that the government has expressed interest in opening a direct route to Nacala, highlighting the logistical and economic potential of that port city in the north of the country. “We also want to launch service to Nacala, which means our businesspeople can fly at any time to Maputo, Beira, and soon to Nacala as well,” he said.
According to Daniel Chapo, these measures could be implemented by July, depending on operational agreements between the parties.
During the visit, the minister held meetings with Ethiopian business leaders, to whom he presented investment opportunities in Mozambique, highlighting major natural gas projects, which he described as a “great opportunity” for bilateral partnerships. “There are various business opportunities, and we believe that, given Ethiopia’s experience, they can contribute to the development of these projects in partnership with Mozambican companies,” he said.
The head of state also highlighted the government’s efforts to diversify the economy, with a focus on the mining, agriculture, and trade sectors, acknowledging the private sector’s decisive role in this process. In this regard, he encouraged Ethiopian business leaders to take advantage of the African free trade area to expand their activities across the continent.
Daniel Chapo also emphasized that the visit to Ethiopia helped strengthen bilateral relations, with prospects for cooperation extending to the economic and commercial spheres, as well as to defense and security, noting that Ethiopia serves as an African benchmark in areas such as infrastructure and urban planning.
The Mozambican delegation included, among others, the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation, Maria Lucas; the Minister of National Defense, Cristóvão Chume; the Minister of Economy, Basílio Muhate; and the Minister of Agriculture, Environment, and Fisheries, Roberto Albino.
