Zambia Airways was founded in 1964 as a subsidiary of Central African Airways. The original fleet consisted of two Douglas DC-3 and three DHC-2 Beavers which were suitable for i.e. airstips and small domestic airports. The carrier ordered a British Aircraft Corporation BAC 1-11 which joined the fleet during 1966.

Douglas DC-3 VP-YKH, the first to be transferred to Zambia Airways.

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver 9J-RFZ msn 122.

British Aircraft Corporation BAC 1-11 5H-RCI ready to be delivered to Zambia Airways, here in the first initional color scheme 1966.

By 1967 when Zambia Airways had become independent of Central African Airways the fleet was painted in a new color scheme and the Nationalsymbol "a flying eagel" on the fin. At this time the carrier further one BAC 1-11-207 and a couple of HS.748s to operate the domestic network of scheduled passenger and cargo services together with an international network linking capitals in Africa and Europe.

After the dissolution of Central African Airways, Zambia Airways was formed with the help of the Italian government. The airline started their operation from City Airport in the Lonacre area where the Italians experts had rapidly constructed valuable infrastructure including housing, headquarters a maintenance base until Lusaka International Airport, become fully operational late 1968.

Zambia Airways HS-748 9J-ABM and DC-3 9J-ROR parked at Lusaka Int. airport late 1968.

Zambia Airways British Aircraft Corporation BAC 1-11 9J-RCH parked at Mombasa Int. airport, Kenya 1969.

Zambia Airways Douglas DC8-43, 9J-ABR

The airline began in late 1968 to operate international services. A Douglas DC-8-43 was leased from Alitalia to operate flights from Lusaka to London via Nairobi, Cyprus and Rome.

Douglas DC-3 9J-RDR msn 981 preparing for take-off.

In 1969 the DC-3s and the Turbo Beavers were fully replaced by the new Hawker Siddeleys HS-748s.

Hawker Siddeley HS748 9J-ABM at Ngoma Airstrip, Zambia. (ZGN)(with QZ 1968 - 1975).
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With inadequate pilots available, the Zambia Air Force had pilots and engineers seconded to the Zambia Airways to fly the HS748s.

British Aircraft Corporation BAC 1-11 9J-RCH c/n 039.

The BAC 1-11 aircraft were introduced in the airlines fleet early 1968. The aircraft were operated on the international services to East Africa, Congo (Kinshasa) and Malawi, together with the important domestic services linking Lusaka, Livingstone and Ndola - Gateway to the Copperbelt. In November, 1969 the BAC 1-11 shedule was extended to include Mauritius, while the HS-748s only flew local routes.

In 1975 Zambia Airways decided to replace the leased DC-8-43 and instead they accquired a Boeing 707 for the direct London service. By this time the carrier intro-
duced the "green and orange style". The two BAC-1-11s where sold.

Boeing 707-300 9J-AEB c/n 19263. (with QZ 1975-1985).

Alitalia bowed out and a new management team from Ireland come in. The Alitalia man-
agement contract was replaced by Aer Lingus Irish Airlines. Zambia Airways quickly added two more Boeing 707s to the fleet and the carrier had three 707s in-
cluding a freighter in its fleet.

Boeing 737-2M9/Adv 9J-AEG at Lusaka International Airport (LUN) 1982.

At the same year, the BAC1-11s were replaced with a Boeing 737-200 that was often put into service to Johannesburg and other medium-haul routes. Another three Boeing 737-200s came to be procured to Zambia Airways for the next four years.

Hawker Siddely HS748 9J-ABK at Lusaka International Airport. The Hawker Siddelys were replaced ATR 42 and the BAC 1-11s by Boeing 737-200s.

In 1979 the government signed a new deal with Ethiopian Airlines to assist and improve the technical and regional operations. The Zambian pilots and technicians were trained and flew under some very primitive condition in Ethiopia and they realised soon that flying in Zambia was a piece of cake compared to the conditions in Ethiopia.

ATR-42-300 9J-AFC cn 0921 (with QZ 1988 - 1994)

"The wideboddy era" started in 1984 with the acquisition of a new DC-10-30. This was the first wideboddy to be used by Zambia Airways and was used to open a route to New York via Monrovia. The first DC-10-30, N3016Z was and christened "Nkwazi" was reportedly a point of national pride for many Zambian citizens.

McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 N3016Z c/n 48266 (with QZ 1984 - 1995).

In 1989, a second DC-10-30 was leased from Sabena and later also a DC-10 from Luft-
thansa to operate long haul flights from Lusaka to London, Frankfurt, Rome and Amsterdam, as well as a weekly services non-stop to Bombay in cooperation with Air India.

Zambia Airways ordered a MD-11 and leased a Douglas DC-8-71 while waiting for the delivery of the MD-11 which never occurred due to the critical economical situation with in the company.

McDonnell Douglas DC-8-71 9J-AFL cn 46099 1993 (with QZ 1989 - 11.10. 1995).

In 1990 Zambia Airways decided to lease a Boeing 757-23AF and became the first air-
line in the world to operate the 757 freighter.

In 1991 a crisis developed and Zambia Airways was affected by the Gulf War as the cost of fuel soars and Zambia Airways began getting fuel outside Zambia where it is cheaper. Meanwhile, the escalating civil war in Liberia means the New York flight instead uses Freetown as its base for the hop accross the Atlantic on the flight to New York.

During that financial crisis period, the International Air Traffic Association (IATA) suspended the airline for failing to settle arrears in excess of US$5 million while its biggest aircraft, a DC-10, was grounded for over a week, when the Italian air company, Alitalia, refused to carry out routine maintenance work because the airline failed to settle a multi-million dollar debt.

At the same time the American firm, Greyhound, had meanwhile taken legal action against the airline for not settling an US$8.9 million loan accquired for aircraft refurbishment.

McDonnell Douglas DC-8-71 and Boeing 737-200 at Lusaka International airport (LUN).

However, in an attempt to recover from this burden, the airline came up with survival plans which saw spending cuts with some station managers recalled from abroad while a DC-8 was sold.

In 1992, the government reportedly indicated that the airline would be responsible for its own debt services and had to operating expenses from its own revenues. Under this directive and in a worsening ecconomic climate, the airline very quickly scaled back their servicies both domestically and internationally.

The lessors of both the ATR32s and the Boeing 757 sent their staff to Lusaka to bring back their aircraft without that the Zambia Airways staff could stop them.

On December 3, 1994 Zambia Airways was liquidated. Passengers and staff were trapped all over the world. Various offices around the world were closed.

Its assets were sold off easely by the liquidator. Brokers from all over the world invaded the maintenance base to buy sparparts and ecuipments to an under-price, worth a fortune for operators of BAC-1-11, DC-8, Boeing 707, Boeing 737, Boeing 757, HS-748 and ATR-42.

Zambia Airways Douglas DC-10-30 N3016Z

The last aircraft, Zambia Airways "flagship" the DC-10-30N3016Z "Nkwazi" was sold to Monarch Airline during 1995.

After almost 30 years of service in the aviation industry and the decision by the government to liquidate Zambia Airways the government assigned the rights of Zambia Airways to Aero Zambia in the end of January 1995.

Fleet:
The airline has operated ATR42, BAC 1-11, Boeing 707, B737, B757, De Haviland DHC-2 Turbo
Beaver, Douglas DC-3, DC-8-62, DC-8-71 and Douglas DC-10-30.

*****

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@Copyright 1998 Tony Edlind
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