Malawi and Zimbabwe have announced the signing of a revised Bilateral Air Services Agreement (BASA) that will see greater flexibility and freedom for each country's designated
carriers. The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the recent Southern African Development Community (SADC) Heads of State Summit recently held in Lilongwe, Malawi.
The Malawi government has announced that negotiations with Ethiopian Airlines (ET) have now been successfully completed, with the successor to defunct Air Malawi Ltd to be known as "Malawi Airlines Ltd".
Mr Lekani Katandula, a partner at audit and business advisory firm Deloitte, the officially appointed liquidators for the now defunct Air Malawi Ltd (QM), has announced that the airline's fleet of three aircraft, an ATR42, a B737-300 and a B737-500, are now up for sale to all interested parties.
Following the finalization of modalities, a revitalized Air Malawi (QM) operating in conjunction with Ethiopian Airlines is due to begin operations by the end of this month (June), Malawian Minister of Transport and Public Works, Sidik Mia, has disclosed.
Malawi's presidential jet, a 15-year-old Dassault Falcon 900-EX (MSN 38 | 7Q-ONE), has been sold to Bohnox Enterprises of the British Virgin Islands for USD15million .
The Malawian Government has announced plans to construct a new international airport in Blantyre, the country's economic hub, to replace the current Chileka International Airport. The project, amongst others, will form part of the country's ongoing economic recovery plan (ERP).
After being declared the "preferred bidder" for a stake in Malawi's now dissolved national carrier Air Malawi (QM), Ethiopian Airlines (ET) says it has officially entered into negotiations with the government regarding its 49% buy-in.
As they had previously threatened, civil servants in Malawi have gone on strike over payrise demands, thus bringing the country to a virtual standstill with Lilongwe's Kamuzu International Airport, and later Blantyre's Chileka International Airport, having being forced to close.
Malawi's beleaguered national carrier, Air Malawi (QM), has officially ceased flights with 243 employees also having been laid off, as the airline is liquidated in preparation for the founding of a new privatized venture, Air Malawi 2012.
Malawi's Principal Secretary in the Ministry of Economic Planning and Economic, Ted Sitimawina, has disclosed that British Airways (BA), Qatar Airways (QR) and Emirates (EK) have all expressed interest in starting flights to the landlocked Central African country, a move that would help to drive down the exorbitant cost of air travel to the country.
The Malawian Government is optimistic that the establishment of a new independent airports management company - the Malawi Airports Authority - will provide the country with a unique opportunity to improve its ageing infrastructure.