Mozambique‘s national carrier, LAM Mozambique Airlines has suspended its Lisbon route as well as two others.
In addition to its Maputo Lisbon route, LAM has also suspended its services between Maputo and Harare (Zimbabwe) as well as between Maputo and Lusaka (Zambia).
These flights are also reportedly loss-making routes for the airline.
LAM MOZAMBIQUE AIRLINES LISBON ROUTE
On Tuesday 18 February, Mozambique’s flag carrier (LAM Airlines) suspended its only European connection, stating that the service has resulted in huge losses for the airline.
Club of Mozambique points out that since 2023 the company has accumulated losses of over US$21 million on its Lisbon route.
The airline can not afford to incur such losses and needs to focus on efficiency in order to be economically sustainable.
The Maputo-based airline relaunched a twice-weekly service on the Maputo Lisbon route in November 2023, after a 12-year absence on the route.
Flights were operated with a Boeing 777 aircraft seating 302 passengers.
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LOSSES IMPACT DOMESTIC OPERATIONS
The airline’s board of directors stated that the Lisbon service, which left a loss of USD 21 million, was not sustainable, impacting the ability to continue operating domestic services.
“We fuelled this route based on funds from the domestic market. We produced and paid for it, and at this point we can no longer cope,” Cossa said.
The carrier will strugle to operate domestic services if its international services incur such losses.
“As long as the company isn’t organised and we continue to have irregularities on domestic flights, we can’t fly big,” LAM spokesman Alfredo Cossa said.
ARRANGEMENTS FOR BOOKED PASSENGERS
Cossa said that passengers holding tickets for LAM’s suspended routes would be accommodated on flights operated by airlines with which LAM has agreements.
