Sep 19, 2018: Turkish Airlines will launch twice-weekly flights from Istanbul to Lusaka, the Zambian capital from December 13, 2018.

The development comes following Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s state visit to Zambia in July this year when air links were also on the working agenda.

The two flights on Monday and Thursday with return flights leaving Lusaka on Tuesday and Friday, are to be increased as demand grows and will initially route via Dar es Salaam though the service will have no fifth freedom rights between the two cities.

Turkish Airlines officials will visit Lusaka next week to finalise discussions with the Zambian civil aviation authorities.

The new route will benefit Zambia’s tourism industry as the country can be reached from around the world – Turkish operates the largest international route network of any airline – with two stops, one in Istanbul for the connecting flight and one, for now, in Dar es Salaam enroute to Lusaka.

Meanwhile Ethiopian Airlines has started to work on the formation of a new Zambian national airline in which Ethiopian Airlines will hold a minority share.

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