LAM Mozambique Airlines Board of Directors
have been sacked, after the state airline was unable to buy fuel due to
financial constraints on Wednesday (July 4) and Thursday (July 5), leaving
passengers grounded in Maputo, including the country’s Prime Minister, Carlos Agostinho do Rosario.
Mozambique’s PM was unable to fly to Niassa
in the northeast for business on Thursday, as the airline had to cancel further
flights, forcing him to use the air force to reach his destination.
In a statement on July 4, the airline said
that, due to financial limitations to buy fuel, it was unable to operate the
first flights on that day. The airline called the incident “embarrassing”.
Despite announcing that the aircraft had
been refuelled, with flights starting at 11h20 on Wednesday, LAM once again was
unable to operate. The airline said: “Faced with limitations to ensure the fuel
supply, Jet A1, to the aircraft, LAM reports to the public that, regrettably,
felt forced to cancel flights.”
LAM explained that multi-sector
intervention efforts were under way to ensure normal flights for Friday (July
6).
The Mozambican state, which owns 91% of the
company’s capital, went on to announce the dissolution of LAM’s Board of
Directors, and have entrusted its management to a provisional manager
committee.
According to an audit conducted by Ernst
& Young, LAM’s current debt is close to the equivalent
of €22 million (R350m).
