Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (LAM) says recent flight cancellations and rescheduling are due to the reduction in its fleet after the unilateral termination of Cemair leases of two Bombardier CRJ900s.
According to Club of Mozambique, LAM’s spokesman, Alfredo Cossa, said at a press conference that two CRJ900s leased from South Africa’s CemAir have been withdrawn, “unilaterally, without prior notice”.
However, CemAir CEO, Miles van der Molen, has told Travel News that Cemair’s aircraft leasing contract with LAM was not terminated, nor did it expire. Van der Molen said that there had been a brief hiatus but CemAir has been operating and will continue to operate for LAM’s using its CRJs.
LAM says it now has only three aircraft - two Embraer 145s and one other aircraft which, according to Cossa, “does not operate regularly”.
“We are constantly rescheduling flights and these reschedules are part of a cancellation process, we are having cancellations, rescheduling due to a lack of passenger capacity,”
Early in April, Travel News reported the suspension of LAM’s Maputo-Cape Town direct flights from April 8 as part of its business restructuring plan.
According to Cossa, the carrier is in negotiations with “partners” to resolve the shortage of aircraft.
Corruption
In his presentation on his first 100 days in office, the Mozambican President, Daniel Chapo, said the airline was suffering from severe corruption. Chapo’s recovery plan for the airline, (which was meant to be carried out during his first 100 days), entailed the airline investing in the acquisition of three aircraft. He expressed disappointment over the airline’s continued reliance on leased aircraft.
On February 5, the government authorised the sale of 91% of the state’s stake in LAM to state-owned companies, as a part of the restructuring of the airline. Indications were that the revenue earned would be used to acquire aircraft.
