The Angolan airline TAAG announced this Tuesday, May 20, the reinforcement of air links on key regional routes, with additional flights to Maputo in Mozambique, Cape Town and Johannesburg in South Africa, and Brazzaville in the Republic of Congo.
In a statement, the airline explained that the decision aims to offer greater flexibility, convenience, and connectivity to passengers by responding to the growing demand for these destinations and facilitating connections for both leisure and business travel between Southern and Central Africa.
Specifically, for the Mozambican capital, starting June 4, TAAG will offer five weekly flights—one more than before—with flights on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays. For Cape Town, the airline will increase from nine to ten weekly flights, with two daily flights on Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. For Johannesburg, flights will increase from seven to nine, with two daily flights on Thursdays and Saturdays.
The statement, quoted by Lusa, also notes that Brazzaville will now have three weekly flights—on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. “This plan is part of the airline’s network optimization and expansion process, with an impact on sectors such as tourism, local economic development, and cultural exchange,” the statement concludes.
This decision comes at a time when the aviation sector in Mozambique is facing “collapse” due to the financial situation of the country’s main national carrier, which is experiencing an unprecedented crisis. For years, Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (LAM) has been facing operational problems linked to a reduced fleet and lack of investment, including some non-fatal incidents that experts attribute to poor aircraft maintenance.
Data shows that in 2021, LAM recorded losses of over 1.4 billion meticais (USD 21.7 million); in 2022, losses of 448.6 million meticais (USD 6.9 million); in 2023, 3.9 billion meticais (USD 60.5 million); and in 2024, losses of 2.2 billion meticais (USD 34.1 million).
Suspension of Regional Flights
In February, LAM announced the immediate suspension of the Maputo-Lisbon route. The measure was justified by the significant accumulated losses, which had exceeded USD 21 million (1.3 billion meticais) since its launch. The service had been operated by a 302-seat Boeing 777 in partnership with EuroAtlantic.
In April, LAM announced the suspension of direct flights to Cape Town, South Africa, in an effort to “optimize profitability and management efficiency.” The Maputo-Harare-Lusaka route was also suspended, having generated losses of USD 307,000 (19.6 million meticais).
Abandoned by the company for nearly 12 years, the Maputo-Lisbon route was resumed in December 2023, around the same time LAM also launched its Cape Town route. Both were part of the airline’s revitalization plan following the takeover of its management by South Africa’s Fly Modern Ark (FMA) to support the restructuring process.
In one of its meetings, the government announced the sale of 91% of the State’s shares in the airline through a private negotiation. The estimated revenue from the sale—around USD 130 million (8.3 billion meticais)—is expected to be used for the purchase of eight new aircraft and the restructuring of the company.
The Mozambican government also announced it would proceed with a forensic audit of the company’s accounts for the past ten years, a process expected to be completed in under six months. A government source further admitted that it will be necessary to “reduce the company’s workforce,” currently around 800 employees, due to the limited fleet.
Source: Diário Económico
