A NEW privately-owned cargo airline based in Malawi has just been launched.
Starwelt Trans Lloyd Cargo is licensed to operate non-scheduled charter flights between Llilongwe, London, Amsterdam, Ostend, Dubai, Johannesburg, Bangkok, Taipei, Kuala Lumpur and Bombay.
The ultimate objective is to develop Malawi as a hub for cargo into the rest of Africa, shareholder Captain Joseph Kirama told FTW. Regional destinations served will include Johannesburg, Lusaka, Harare, Windhoek, Lubumbashi, Kinshasa, Luanda, Kigali, Bujumbura, Entebbe, Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.
The Malawian economy has been developing and we now have a number of export commodities. With insufficient airline capacity to cope, we saw a gap in the market which we believe we can fill with our flexible approach. Local Malawi investors comprise 10 to 15% of the company's shareholding. The remainder are foreign partners from Britain, America and South Africa. All have experience in the aviation industry.
The airline has four Canadair CL44, three Boeing 707F and one King Air 200 aircraft.
