LUSAKA, March 27 (Xinhua) -- One of Zambia's locally-owned airline on Friday suspended operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Proflight Zambia, the country's longest surviving scheduled airline, said it will cease international flights effective March 27, 2020 while domestic flights will not operate between April 1 and April 30. The airline plans to resume international and domestic flights from May 1 on a very limited schedule.
"We hope to resume normal operations by July 1 but we do not know yet whether this will be possible. When normal operations do resume it is likely to be with very reduced frequency especially on tourism routes," Chitalu Kaballika, the company's Corporate Director said in a release.
He however said the airline will continue to operate charter and cargo flights within Zambia and regionally for as long as borders remain open.
Minister of Tourism and Arts Ronald Chitotela said the tourism sector has been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and seen an increased loss of some 6 million U.S. dollars, resulting in cancellation of tourist planned visits.
