Malawian Airlines goes to Dar es Salaam

DAR ES SALAAM, Tanzania - The Lilongwe-based Malawian Airlines, which is 49% owned by Ethiopian Airlines, has opened its third international route by starting flights to Dar es Salaam.

Ethiopian strategic partner. Malawian Airlines, was founded in July 2013 and launched operations on January 31 with a single Bombardier Q400 and a Boeing 737-800. 

“Malawian Airlines members of the business community in the two countries can conduct their businesses easier than before, the Malawian High Commissioner in Tanzania, Flossie Chidyaonga said last week

Its inaugural route was a domestic service between Lilongwe and Blantyre in Malawi, according to a statement from the carrier.

High Commissioner, Chidyaonga told East African Business Week in Dar es Salaam last week, the flights have simplified travel between the two countries.

“The business communities and other travelers will now need only a maximum of two hours to travel between Dar es Salaam and Lilongwe,” she said.

She added with the Malawian Airlines in operations, Tanzania and Malawi can also jointly promote their tourism potentials to the outside world.

Landlocked Malawi depends on Tanzania, Mozambique and South African for its imports. All the three countries are also members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).

Earlier, Malawian Airlines Public Relations Officer, Maganizo Mazeze said the new flight offers more travel options, convenience and frequency to travelers from Tanzania and other countries. This would stimulate regional economic integration.

“Apart from Dar es Salaam, regionally, we also fly to Johannesburg, Harare and Lusaka. Plans are on to introduce flights to three destinations in Mozambique (Maputo, Beira and Tete)….We hope these efforts will greatly impact on regional economic integration efforts,” he said

The High Commissioner has also told business communities in Tanzania and Malawi to enhance cooperation and forget what happened recently between the two countries.

Chidyaonga said what happened between Tanzania and Malawi is passed and that businessmen from the two countries have to tie their relationship. “There is nothing again and the problem is over,” she noted.

The Airlines has a fleet of two generation aircraft with business and economy class configurations, a Boeing 737-800 and Bombardier Q 400, both are less than two years in operation.

Malawian Airlines operated its first international service, marking the debut of its daily service between Lilongwe and Johannesburg, via Blantyre. It is serving the route using a 737-800, configured with 154 seats in a two-class configuration. Ethiopian has a 49% equity stake in Malawian, alongside the Malawian government, and has a management contract for the new airline.

Lilongwe is Ethiopian’s third African hub, joining its home base at Addis Ababa and Lome in Togo, where it has an equity partnership with local carrier ASKY Airlines.