Proflight to operate Livingstone to Johannesburg
Proflight Zambia has set its sights on connecting the tourist capital of Livingstone to the South Africa market, with direct flights to Johannesburg, South Africa. The airline has received approval for the new route, which it is introducing in a phased approach while demand remains subdued, initially starting in April by altering its flight times between Lusaka and Livingstone to enable smooth connections to their Lusaka-Johannesburg flights four times weekly.
Once demand picks up, Proflight plans to introduce a direct Johannesburg-Livingstone service, making it the first airline to operate the route since South Africa reopened its airports late last year.
“We are extremely proud to be the first ones in Zambia to be offering this connection after South Africa begins relaxing COVID-19 travel restrictions,” said Proflight Zambia Director Flight Operations Captain Josias Walubita. “As a safety conscious airline, we have already put in place strict guidelines to ensure our passengers and staff are protected from COVID-19. Passenger safety and comfort remain our biggest priorities,” he stressed.
Captain Walubita noted that reopening the route would facilitate tourism and trade between the two tourist hot spots and help reignite economies still reeling from the effects of COVID-19.
The first flight connecting Livingstone with Joburg via Lusaka is scheduled for April 9, 2021. The airline will operate flights from Livingstone to Johannesburg via Lusaka on Tuesdays, departing at 12:20 and arriving at 17:00; and Fridays leaving at 8:50 hrs and arriving at 17:00 hrs.
The return flights will depart Johannesburg at 12:00hrs on Thursdays and Sundays, arriving in Livingstone at 16:20hrs.
“We will be operating the Bombardier CRJ 100 which seats 50 on the Johannesburg sector while the 29-seater J41 aircraft will cover the Livingstone sector,” said Captain Walubita. “As demand grows, we will look at adding more flights to the route.”
Proflight is currently operating daily flights between Johannesburg and Lusaka, with twice daily flights on Fridays and Sundays. The airline also carries cargo on its scheduled flights using Bidair and ZEGA from Johannesburg and Lusaka respectively.
