All flights halted: Ethiopian Mozambique Airlines
Ethiopian Mozambique Airlines will suspend all flights due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, starting from Thursday, May 6th. The airline has cited a sharp drop in demand for travel as the reason behind halting flights, making it impossible to continue operating.
In a statement this week, the airline said,
“Despite the challenges, Ethiopian Mozambique Airlines remained resilienty operational until the economic effects of the pandemic became so severe that they made it impossible to continue due to the drastic drop in demand for travel in the domestic market.”
The airline has also claimed the suspension of operations “results from the decline in demand among travelers due to restrictions imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.” Ethiopian Mozambique Airlines is the primary competition to LAM Mozambique Airlines, which will continue to operate in the region. With Ethiopian Mozambique Airlines out of the picture for the time being, LAM Mozambique Airlines will be the only airline offering flights in Mozambique.
Ethiopian Mozambique Airlines has not yet hinted at when it may return to the skies but will ‘monitor developments in the market‘ before making a decision. Before canceling flights, the carrier flew to eight destinations in Mozambique, including the capital Maputo, along with Nampula, Tete, Pemba, Beira, Nacala, Quelimane and Chimoio. However, in recent weeks the airline had already trimmed its schedule down to Beira, Maputo, Nampula, and Tete.
The carrier utilizes DeHavilland Dash 8-Q400 and Boeing 737-800 aircraft acquired from Ethiopian Airlines, which owns a 99% stake in the airline. Most recently, it was operating a Dash 8-Q400 (registration: ET-AXP) owned by Ethiopian Airlines.
