Zambia Airways Names Aman Wole Gurmu as New CEO to Steer Next Growth Chapter
The board of Zambia Airways 2014 has confirmed the appointment of Aman Wole Gurmu as the carrier's new Chief Executive Officer, with his mandate having taken effect on 1 August 2026. The announcement, made public from Lusaka on 6 August, signals a fresh chapter for Zambia's national airline as it works to strengthen its position across regional and international markets.
Aman arrives at the Lusaka-based flag carrier with a rich professional background spanning nearly two decades at the Ethiopian Airlines Group. His 19-year career has covered airline leadership, commercial strategy, sales, market development, and the building of strategic partnerships across Africa, Europe, and Asia. This wide-ranging exposure positions him as a seasoned executive well suited to navigate the competitive pressures currently facing African aviation.
His previous roles include Regional Director for Mainland China and Mongolia, Regional Director for France and the Maghreb, Area Manager for Zambia, and Director of Sales in Addis Ababa. Notably, his earlier posting in Zambia gives him a valuable head start, as he already understands the local commercial environment, customer expectations, and stakeholder landscape.
Board Chairperson Jomo Matululu welcomed the appointment, stating that it reflects the board's dedication to strong leadership and to the vision of shaping a competitive, safe, customer-focused and market-driven airline capable of connecting Zambia to broader regional and global opportunities. Matululu emphasised that the choice was guided by the need to deliver value to travellers and to reinforce the carrier's long-term commercial ambitions.
Speaking after his appointment, Aman described the moment as a great honour and pledged to work closely with the board, employees, the Zambian government, regulators, and industry partners to build a safe, reliable, and customer-focused national airline that reflects the aspirations of the Zambian people. His tone signals continuity of the airline's core mission while inviting fresh commercial energy into the operation.
Aman becomes the third consecutive Ethiopian executive to lead Zambia Airways since the carrier resumed flights in December 2021. Asrat Jiru served as the first CEO under a five-year mandate granted to Ethiopian Airlines Group to nominate the founding chief executive. He was succeeded by Thomas Gebreyohannes Woldesenbet in April 2024, and now Aman takes the reins during a period widely seen as pivotal for the airline's growth.
His arrival adds to a broader trend of Ethiopian aviation professionals leading African and international carriers. Tewolde Gebremariam has recently been named CEO of Air India Limited, Esayas Woldemariam Hailu leads ASKY Airlines in Togo, Mesfin Biru Weldegeorgis serves as Director General of Air Congo in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Solomon Bekele heads Malawi Airlines, and Girma Wake has taken up the role of Interim CEO and Consultant at Uganda Airlines. This pattern speaks to the growing influence of experienced Ethiopian aviation talent across the continent, a development that trade professionals should watch carefully as it reshapes commercial relationships and network strategies.
Zambia Airways currently offers regional services to Dar es Salaam, Harare, Johannesburg, and Nairobi, complemented by domestic flights linking Lusaka, Ndola, Livingstone, and Solwezi. For trade partners across sub-Saharan Africa, the leadership change presents an opportunity to reassess partnership options, especially as the airline is expected to sharpen its commercial focus and possibly expand its network in the years ahead.
With southern African tourism demand continuing to grow, particularly around Victoria Falls, Lower Zambezi National Park, and business travel corridors to Johannesburg and Nairobi, the direction Aman sets in the coming months will shape how tour operators, corporate buyers, and destination marketers position Zambia within their portfolios.
