Thread by @Kauswe3

The Zambia Airways Story (PART 3)

Next, Zambia Airways acquired a DC-8-71. The plane actually belonged to the government, but in order to keep it active and for easy maintenance, it was added to the fleet.

Zambia Airways then placed an order for an MD-11 as well as for a Boeing 757 freighter.

Zambia Airways was the first airline in the world to operate the 757 freighter. With 2,150 employees there was concern that the airline was overmanned with only 300,000 passengers and a fleet of 2 ATR42-320s, 2 Boeing 737s, 1 Boeing 757 freighter, 1 DC-8-61 and 1 DC-10-30.

The plane to crew ratio was over 300, three times the ideal.

A crisis developed in 1991. Zambia Airways was affected by the Gulf War as the cost of fuel soared and Zambia Airways now began getting fuel outside Zambia.

Meanwhile, the escalating civil war in Liberia meant that the New York flight instead used Freetown as its base for the hop across the Atlantic on the flight to New York

As losses piled up, Godfrey Mulundika was sacked and was replaced by Luke Mbewe a turnaround specialist with a reputation for reviving moribund companies.

He did not endear himself to the pilots when he tells them outside the intricacies of the cockpit, flying is no different to driving a bus.

He cancelled the MD-11 which was even painted in Zambian colours and nearly complete. The cancellation costed a very painful $2 million in penalties.

Zambia Airways not only flew locally but it flew scheduled international flights from Lusaka to Bombay, Dar es Salaam, Entebbe, Frankfurt, Gaborone, Harare, Johannesburg, Lilongwe, London, Lubumbashi Nairobi, and Rome.

True to his reputation, Luke Mbewe slashed 400 jobs and was chipping away at the losses. New York was making losses and the route was chopped. However, he was battling a very strong union and a new government is in place.

His reputed family ties to the former President Kenneth Kaunda did not help. He was sacked and replaced by Peter Kaoma who continued to implement his restructuring program.

Unfortunately, the sacked employees were rehired due to political pressure and the airline headcount climbed and its financial status was still bad.

By 1994 Peter Kaoma was sacked and George Lewis stepped in. By now the situation was dire, Creditors are seizing assets and aircraft was shuttled around to avoid attachment by banks

George Lewis puts together a comprehensive resuscitation plan that involved asset sales, workforce cuts, closing off offices and rationalization of routes. He began laying off employees.

However, he was taken by surprise after being assured of the survival plan being put in place, on December 3, 1994, the airline was closed.

Vice President General Miyanda announced the placing of Zambia Airways in liquidation.

Passengers were stranded all over the world. Staff were trapped in various offices around the world. The offices were surrounded and locked by armed police. 28 years of operation was over.

The Zambia Airways maintenance base is invaded by brokers from all over the world as they buy bits and pieces of a 28-year stockpile of spares and equipment. Its Christmas time for anyone who flies BAC-1-11, DC-8, Boeing 707, Boeing 737, Boeing 757, HS 748 and ATR-42.

It was an Aladdin's cave for spares and sophisticated testing equipment and aircraft metal work shop. Lathes, drills, CNC machines.They all go. Zambia Airways employees acted as consultants to the vultures.

Very soon aircraft engineers, pilots, air hostesses, stewards, cargo handling staff, logistics experts languished away jobless. The lucky ones get jobs abroad. One Zambia Airways aircraft engineer pops up on BBC as a taxi driver. A man must do what he must do to survive.

Meanwhile, Zambia became an aviation backwater. The local airports fell silent some of them for good and became derelict. Kasaba Bay, Zambezi fall into ruin. Zambians now had to go to Harare or fly to South Africa to fly out of the country.

In 1995 the DC-10-30, Nkwazi, is sold to Monarch Air, a UK airline. It is the last aircraft to be disposed of, it is a fitting epitaph.

Source - lusaka-airport.com