Proflight Zambia has expanded its fleet with the purchase of a 50-seat Dash 8-300 turbo aircraft, as part of its continuing drive to build market share in the regional aviation sector.
According to Zanele Kuzwayo, Intercontinental Sales Office Manager at Proflight Zambia, the new aircraft will be deployed on the Ndola route.
The Zambian owned and operated airline expects to take delivery of the aircraft within the next few months, following delivery from Bombardier Aerospace headquarters in Canada.
The investment is the latest step in Proflight’s strategy of buying bigger aircraft that can accommodate more passengers, realising economies of scale and enabling it to operate more efficiently.
“The new Dash 8-300 will increase Proflight’s capacity and enable us to expand our network of destinations throughout the Southern African market,” explained Proflight Director of Flight Operations Captain Gerald Tembo.
Boosting its fleet with the Dash 8 increases the opportunities for the airline to open more destinations, both domestically and internationally, adding to its three existing regional routes, from Lusaka to Durban, Harare and Lilongwe. It will also free up the productive time of its 50-seat CRJ 100 Jet, which will also allow the airline to look at more new routes domestically and regionally.
Flights to Johannesburg, Gabon, Entebbe and Dar es Salaam are all being evaluated by the airline, which celebrates 27 years of operation this year.
Proflight currently operates a 50-seat Bombardier CRJ-100 jet, three 29-seat Jetstream 41s and two C208 Caravans.
