Proflight, Zambia’s leading scheduled airline, will connect two of nation’s leading economic powerhouses starting from this month.
From January 16, 2017, the airline will add a direct flight three times a week between Ndola and Solwezi, providing convenient travel between the Copperbelt business hub and the North-Western Province mining centre. The new direct route will attract more investment in the mining sector and bring to life the tourism industry in North-Western province, said the airline.
The new scheduled service from Ndola to Solwezi will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays and will take just 1 hour, compared with the lengthy and uncomfortable road trip between the two urban centres, and a longer flight via Lusaka.
Ndola being the industrial and commercial centre of the Copperbelt, and Solwezi being one of the most important cities in the mining sector, the two make a significant contribution to the economy of the country.
“The flight schedule will reduce the hassle of people having to fly via Lusaka to travel between Ndola and Solwezi, or drive for over 339km on a really bad road. Time is money, so if you value money, you will value time. Therefore, we are pleased to announce our new one-hour direct flight from Ndola to Solwezi, as it will bring efficiency, effectiveness and smart movement of its time-conscious business travellers and tourists between the two towns,” said Proflight Director of Government and Industry Affairs Capt. Philip Lemba.
The Ndola-Solwezi flight will depart Ndola at 08:30hrs on Tuesdays and Fridays, arriving Solwezi at 09:30hrs. On Thursdays, the flight will depart Ndola at 13:35hrs, arriving Solwezi at 14:35. The return flight departs Solwezi at 09:55hrs on Tuesdays and Fridays, arriving Ndola at 10:55hrs. On Thursdays, the flight will depart Solwezi at 15:00hrs arriving Ndola at 16:00.
The flight will not only contribute greatly to the investment potential in the province but also the tourism industry as it will bring back to life the West Lunga National Park, which is the pride of the North Western ecosystem.
“We take a keen interest in improving the tourism industry in Zambia. With the steps taken by the government to protect the West Lunga ecosystem, Proflight will increase traffic for tourists coming to visit the West Lunga park and other wildlife attractions, by flying them on its Ndola-Solwezi direct flight,” he added.