Zambian Airways to enable traders travel more easily to Johannesburg

Zambian cross border traders can travel to Johannesburg, South Africa faster and at a cheaper price thanks to an agreement signed with Zambian Airways, which will reserve 50 seats for the traders in the flights from Zambian capital Lusaka to the South African city to be launched next month.

The flights will run once a day with fare as low as 330,000 kwacha (100 U.S. dollars) one-way, lower than the bus fare between the two cities, which is normally more than 370,000 kwacha (120 dollars).

Zambian Airways chief executive Donald Macdonald said at Friday 's signing ceremony that he hoped "the cross border traders will be able to move business affordably."

A 150-seat MD-82 plane will be used to operate the flights as from March 10.

Currently, there are a total of 12,000 cross border traders registered with the Cross Border Traders Association (CBTA) in Zambia.

CBTA chairperson Greenwell Shimukonka said the agreement would allow traders to cut on the time spent traveling by road to South Africa, which is the biggest trading partner to Zambia.

Source: Xinhua