Zambia Airports see 15% rise in passenger traffic, boosted by high profile international events

Zambia Airports Corporation Limited (ZACL) has reported a 15 percent increase in general passenger traffic across its network of airports for the second quarter of 2024.

The Corporation served 569,658 passengers during the quarter, up from 494,110 passengers recorded in the same period in 2023.

In a statement issued in Lusaka on Friday, ZACL Communications and Brand Manager, Mweembe Sikaulu, attributed the increase to Zambia hosting a series of high-profile international events.

International passenger traffic showed significant recovery, with a 117 percent rebound compared to pre-COVID-19 levels and a 17 percent year-on-year growth.

Domestic passenger traffic also saw strong performance, recovering by 146 percent and surpassing pre-pandemic levels with an 11 percent year-on-year growth.

“The high-profile events include the extraordinary summit of the Organ Troika, the extraordinary meeting of the Interstate Defense and Security Subcommittee, the Land-Linked Zambia Conference and Exhibition,” Sikaulu stated.

Other notable events that contributed to the increase were the Aviation Week Africa, the African Land Forces Summit, and the KAZA 2024 Heads of State Summit.

Sikaulu noted that the rise in domestic passenger numbers was primarily driven by competitive pricing on domestic routes, the opening of the Lusaka-Kasama route and the hosting of events such as the Zambia Institute of Marketing AGM in Livingstone and the Zambia International Trade Fair in Ndola.

“Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport recorded the highest recovery at 166 percent, with the Lusaka-Ndola route being the busiest during the period under review,” she added.

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