airlines in the country to ensure that the give the country the best plane

THE Ministry of tourism Slyvia Masebo has called airlines in the
country to ensure that the give the country the best planes during the
forth coming UNWTO conference slated for August.
 Ms Masebo said that Livingstone should have more than just one airline.
 Tourism and Arts Minister Masebo and her counterpart Minister for
Transport, Works and Communications Christopher Yaluma met
representative of Kenyan Airways (KQ/KLM) and Emirates in Livingstone
on Monday afternoon.
During the meeting which was held at the Royal Livingstone hotel,
Tourism and Arts Minister Silvia Masebo said that tourists and
delegates coming into Zambia and a Livingstone in particular were
disadvantaged because there is only preflight airline operating
between Lusaka and Livingstone.
 “There is a feeling that the planes that get into Zambia, we want
quality planes to land into the Zambia,” Ms Masebo urged the airlines.
“You give us your best planes so that the people that will come to the
country will love to fly back into the country,” she said.
Ms Masebo said that flying into Livingstone is still a challenge, and
noted that Emirates had indicated that they had interests to land into
Livingstone.
 She said that there is need for Livingstone to be connected by the
airlines so that the yellow fever ban will not be an issue.
Ms Masebo said that yellow fever ban was part of business politics.
Ms Masebo said Lusaka and Livingstone there is only Pro-light as this
will cause a challenge and that there is need o see how best we can
work together.
 She said that there was need for the need for the airlines to have
direct impact on tourism.
Ms Masebo urged them to voice out their concerns.
“The president has directed all the sector ministries to speed up
decision making, and how best we can be assisted without a lot of
problems,” she said.
“We are luck that the minister of compunction is town the meeting was
called by the ministry of communication with tour operators working
with airlines,” she said.
She urged them to improve on domestic tourism and that the road
between Livingstone and Lusaka.
She commended the ministry of communication for railway line and the
dual carriage way that will connect the Copperbelt.
She said there was misconception that Zambia had been blacklisted from
the European Union.

 And KQ/KLM Country Manager Stephen Ngamau disclosed that the airline
has plans to open the Livingstone route ahead of the UNWTO general
assembly.
Mr. Ngamau revealed that the airline has already submitted its
application to the ministry and was currently waiting for a response.
He said that KQ/KLM will be operating directly from Nairobi to
Livingstone and also Mombasa, Nairobi and Livingstone.
KLN/KQ sales manager Angela Wasike said that Zambia tourist board had
approached her organisation for the rates that they would be able to
give to would be delegates to forth coming conference.
She said the rates would be made available to all its agents
throughout the globe.
Emirates sales executive Nobert Bwanga said their target was the UNWTO
conference.
He said that his airline has interest in flying in the numbers for the
UNWTO would submit global contract.
He said that the airline had made application to land into Livingstone
but not immediately.
Speaking at function Transport, Works, Supply and Communications
minister Yaluma said that the country has not been blacklisted as it
has been cleared.
The minister said that the Government had engaged the European Union
and that it was funded three million Euros to improve the aviation
sector.
He said that country was doing a pilot programmes with the equipment
and the training that the country has received.
Mr Yaluma has said that his ministry will do every possible to ensure
the successful co hosting of the UNWTO.
He said the Government through his ministry had longed the Harry
Mwanga Nkumbula and that it important that the airlines should use it.
 He said the new airport terminal will be completed soon by the end of May.
He said that airport is able to land big planes but not the 777.
He said that the airlines should make the full benefit.
“We need to ensure that this thing will succeed and we want all the
people to follow the right procedure,” he said.
He urged the airlines not to under estimate or undermine the UNWTO conference.
 He said that the concern of the ministry is how the country would
receive the number of delegates that would fly into the country.
“We want to do whatever is within our means help bring in more numbers
of delegates into the country,” he said
“We want to know what your plans are or whether you it feasible to fly
in the numbers,” he said.
Mr Yaluma urged the airlines to provide a full package flight through
the tourist sites in the country.
 He said that it was possible to fly into Mfuwe as it is an
international airport.
He said that the construction of Ndola would take three years as it is
a new one and the old one will be abounded as it is in the residential
area.
Livingstone chamber of commerce representative Miles Daka paid tribute
to the airlines for their consideration of thinking of landing into
Livingstone.
 He said the country was losing a lot of revenue as a result of not
having a direct flight into Livingstone.    End