Mozambique: LAM returns cargo plane' to its place of origin' after failing to obtain ...
Mozambique’s LAM will lease a plane to reinforce fleet after Quelimane incident
7:45 CAT | 02 Mar 2021
The aircraft involved in the incident, originally delivered to Aloha Airlines in 2004, was leased by LAM in 2019. [File photo: LAM]
Mozambican Airlines (LAM) announced on Monday that it would lease a plane to reinforce the fleet after an aircraft slid off the runway in Quelimane, in the centre of the country, on Friday.
“South African operators have planes available which we have already audited. We are in the process of formalising the contract,” said João Jorge, director-general of LAM, quoted by Televisão de Moçambique.
According to the official, the LAM plane was restored to the runway after the incident, and investigations are currently being carried out by aeronautics experts into the cause of the incident. The company insists that the plane was in good order.
Also read: LAM 737-700 involved in Mozambique landing excursion
Investigations will focus on assessing the mechanical condition, particularly of the landing gear, which supports the aircraft during landing and take-off.
The regular domestic flight by a Boeing B737-700 aircraft, registration C9BAR, skidded when it landed at 2:40 p.m. from Maputo at the Quelimane airport in Zambézia with 92 passengers on board. No-one was hurt in the incident.
On Saturday, João Jorge hazarded that a combination of speed and rain might have caused the aircraft to skid off the runway.
The director-general at the same time stressed that the flights coincided with “the transportation of Covid-19 vaccines throughout the country”, which LAM did not wish to prejudice in any way.
On Wednesday, Mozambique received its first Covid-19 vaccines, a batch of 200,000 doses of the Sinopharm brand supplied by the Government of China.
Mozambique had, by this Tuesday,(March 2) seen a cumulative total of 665 deaths and 59.914 cases of infection with the new coronavirus, 71.4% of which recovered, with 199 currently hospitalised. Active cases across the country stood at 16.448, of which 10.830 in Maputo city.
According to a report by the French AFP press agency, the Covid-19 pandemic has caused at least 2,531,448 deaths worldwide among more than 114 million infected.
Also read: Mozambique: LAM sold off planes and leased them back – AIM report
About the aircraft involved in the Quelimane incident
The 737-700, registered C9-BAR, is one of two 737-700s operated by LAM. In fact, it’s just one of four aircraft in the entire LAM fleet – the other two aircraft being Embraer E190 regional jets.
The little jet has actually operated in many areas of the world, serving with airlines in the United States, China, the Middle East, and Africa. According to Planspotters.net, C9-BAR (MSN 30674, Line Number 1511) was first delivered to Aloha Airlines in June 2004. Four years later, in May 2008, it moved to Sun Country Airlines, and then on to Chinese carrier Lucky Air in October 2008.
After flying for the Chinese carrier for eight years, the jet headed to Africa where it flew with Trans Air Congo for two years, then flying with Lebanon’s Ibex Air Charter from 2018 to 2019.
The aircraft has been with LAM since April 2019.
About LAM
With only four aircraft, LAM is an extremely small airline. Based in the East African country of Mozambique, the carrier has a fleet of just four jets.
In addition to the 10 domestic cities in its network, the airline flies to three international destinations from its hub in Maputo:
- Nairobi, Kenya
- Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
- Johannesburg, South Africa
According to the airline’s website, it has codeshare agreements with TAAG Angola, South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and Kenya Airways. The airline also recently signed an interline agreement with Air France/KLM for its three international services to and from Maputo.
The State of Mozambique holds 91% of the airline while managers, technicians, and other LAM workers hold the remaining 9% of shares.
Boeing 737 – 700 já está na zona da placa de estacionamento do aeroporto de Quelimane. A aeronave foi retirada, com…
Publicado por LAM – Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique em Domingo, 28 de fevereiro de 2021
Source: Lusa / Simply Flying
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