Zambia Skyways, a local airline company, is to launch direct flights to London and Dubai in partnership with Air Zimbabwe effective from Dec. 1 following an investment of US$4 million, local newspaper Zambia Daily Mail reported Wednesday.

 

Zambia Skyways would wet lease aircraft from Air Zimbabwe, which has two B767s, three B737s and three MA60s in operation, the paper cited the company's managing director Suleman Patel as saying.

 

A wet lease is a leasing arrangement whereby a company agrees to provide an aircraft and at least one pilot.

 

Zambia Skyways would also serve the Lubumbashi route to the Democratic Republic of Congo with five flights every week and daily flights between Lusaka and Harare, capital of Zimbabwe.

 

The London route is pegged at 800 dollars for return flight while the Dubai route would cost 500 dollars for return flight.

 

Currently, the British Airways is the only operator of the London route in Zambia.

 

(Xinhua News Agency November 29, 2006)