Mozambique: Government denies blocking licensing of Solenta Aviation

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Mozambique: Government denies blocking licensing of Solenta Aviation

12:46 CAT | 25 Aug 2025

File photo: Integrity

The Mozambican government has denied that it is blocking the licensing of the South African company Solenta Aviation for regular domestic and regional flights.

The government spokesperson and Minister of State Administration, Inocencio Impissa, told reporters at a Friday press briefing in Maputo that the licensing is following normal procedures, and is now in its third and final stage.

The first stage was the assessment of the company’s economic and financial capacity, while the second covered such aspects as maintenance procedures, training and qualifications of the technical staff.

This phase, said Impissa, culminates in issuing an air operator’s certificate and operational license.

The final phase consists of assessing air transport policies and their coherence with the targets of the government’s programme.

Impissa said that in February 2025, Solenta Aviation submitted its request for a license. But, in fact. the company already had a history of working in Mozambique, in partnership with the low fare airline Fastjet.

READ: Solenta Aviation Mozambique: Scheduled air operations

Solenta Aviation says delay in issuing license for domestic flights in Mozambique “is not normal”

In November 2017 it began operations on the domestic routes Maputo-Beira, Maputo-Pemba, Maputo-Tete, and Maputo-Nampula. In April 2018, it expanded to the regional route Maputo-Beira-Harare.

But these operations were all suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Solenta continued flying, but only on charter flights.

Impissa said the licensing of the company was following normal procedures and the final decision will be taken on the basis of compliance with technical and financial norms and public policies.

But Impissa did not say when the licensing procedure will be complete.

READ: Mozambique: Licence for private airline Solenta once assessment complete – govt

Source: AIM