> “These are not leased planes, these are LAM’s own planes,” stated Agostinho Langa, chairman of the board of directors of Mozambique Ports and Railways (CFM), a shareholder in the national flag carrier, during a press conference in Maputo.
The aircraft, with a capacity of 100 seats, cost $25 million (21 million euros) and are certified to the “European standard,” assured Langa, adding that “they flew in the Netherlands (…) and all maintenance has been done.”
According to Langa, the planes arrived on Saturday night, but without LAM’s colors due to delays in their availability.
“We think that at the beginning of next month the spaces will open (…) for the planes to be painted in LAM’s colors,” Langa mentioned, ensuring they are “ready and fit” to fly, while also noting that 20 pilots have been trained to operate the aircraft, with 12 already in Mozambique and eight are expected to arrive in the coming days.
The executive recalled the promise of having between five and six planes by the end of this year, a target not met, as efforts are underway for new acquisitions during the first quarter of 2026.
“We are fulfilling the mission entrusted to us (…) this is a small step for LAM because we know this is not our goal,” highlighted Agostinho Langa, stating that the fleet will be reinforced with “another Airbus” in the coming days to meet the demand of the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
Mozambican Transport and Logistics Minister, João Matlombe, mentioned that it is not yet time for celebration as “the challenges are enormous” and acknowledged that only “one step has been taken in front of a very complex problem.”
“But we cannot, with humility, fail to recognize and with some satisfaction the effort that the company, the group of shareholders who are leading at the moment, has been making for the last 10 months since we assumed this new governance cycle,” commented Matlombe.
According to the minister, the shareholders managed to “revive the company,” ensuring predictability of flights and stabilizing sales and expenses.
“The next phase is the most challenging. As stated well by the PCA, we intended to offer six aircraft, unfortunately, we are not presenting them, nor do we hang our heads (…). It’s not due to a lack of money, it is because the process is demanding,” explained João Matlombe.
LAM had already rented an Airbus A319 in October from Ukraine, capable of carrying 144 passengers, to “strengthen its fleet,” announced the Mozambican Ministry of Transport at the time.
According to the Mozambican ministry, the company currently operates six aircraft, five of which are leased, and one Bombardier Q400 was recently acquired, the first in 18 years.
On September 23, the Mozambican government acknowledged difficulties in restructuring LAM but emphasized that the goal is to ensure a functional and safe company, with plans at the time to acquire five aircraft by December.
LAM has faced operational problems for several years related to a reduced fleet and lack of investments, with some non-fatal incidents linked by experts to poor aircraft maintenance. The company is now in a deep restructuring process.
The Mozambican state-owned company has practically ceased international flights this year, focusing on domestic connections, as part of the restructuring process that also saw the entry of a new administration in May and state-owned companies Hidroelétrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB), CFM, and Empresa Moçambicana de Seguros (Emose) as shareholders.
