BY MBONO MDLULI
MBABANE – Eswatini Air seems to be spreading its wings, as it has announced that soon, it will be adding Lusaka, Zambia, as one of its destinations.
The Eswatini Air made this announcement on February 10, 2025 on its Facebook page. “We are thrilled to announce that our new route to Lusaka, Zambia’s vibrant capital, is coming soon,” reads Eswatini Air’s announcement.
Currently, Eswatini Air services four destinations from two countries. The destinations include three cities from South Africa and one from Zimbabwe. The South African cities are Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town. In Zimbabwe, Eswatini Air has Harare as its destination.
Eswatini Air Marketing and Communications Manager Batsabile Nkambule did confirm that her company wanted to launch Lusaka, Zambia, as their next destination. However, she could not divulge the date on which they would launch, save to say that Lusaka was the next destination.
Eswatini Air seems to be a growing company, as it has been recognised, in November 2024, as the Airline of the Year (best improved in intra-Africa connectivity for 2023 operations). His Majesty King Mswati III congratulated the aviation company for this achievement when he opened the Second Session of the 12th Parliament.
According to the king, the recognition by the African Airlines Association for being the best improved in inter-Africa connectivity for 2023 validates the country’s decision to re-launch the national airline. “To reach self-sufficiency the entity needs the support from the Government and the nation at large,” the king said.
The company started operating on March 26 last year, when it took to the skies for the first time, using its first aircraft, the Embraer ERJ 145. The company had been able to fly 28 000 people in its first year of its operation.
According to Wikipedia, Eswatini Air originally planned to commence operations in June 2022. However, the airline secured an Airline Operator Certificate (AOC) in December 2022 after some delays. Operations commenced on 26 March 2023 with twice-daily flights to Johannesburg, with the necessary foreign operator permits granted by South Africa. Harare, Zimbabwe was added in April 2023, and Durban and Cape Town were added to the network by June 2023. The company now has two aircrafts of the same type used to service its customers.
