Mozambique Airlines (LAM) will increase the number of aircraft operating domestic and regional flights next month, the Chairman of the Board of Directors (PCA), Américo Muchanga, revealed today.

"We do have the prospect of strengthening it. I can say that it is indeed a duty. Because the only way to fly the 45 routes we do a day, with quality, is to increase the number of aircraft we have," he said.

LAM operates five aircraft, four for domestic and regional flights, and one for the Maputo-Lisbon connection. One aircraft dedicated to cargo transportation is stalled - it has never taken off a single LAM flight.

"We are thinking of bringing in two more Boeing 737 aircraft and two more Embraer 145 aircraft to reinforce our domestic and regional routes," he said.

He also said that it was in the company's plans to explore new routes, but that no decision had yet been made because economic studies were underway, but also because LAM was focused on consolidating the Maputo-Lisbon route.

"The destinations we're studying at the moment are India, China, Brazil and Dubai. We don't have any specific decisions at the moment, but if these routes prove viable for us to fly. We will gradually introduce these destinations into our international routes," he revealed.

LAM's CEO also said that at domestic level the aim is to consolidate the routes with high tourist potential, namely Inhambane-Johannesburg and Inhambane-Cape Town.

"These are routes that have great tourist potential, and we want to strengthen these routes and fly with better quality," he stressed.

Américo Muchanga was speaking in an interview to Mozambique Televisionon the occasion of the opening of the 59th edition of the Maputo International Fair (FACIM), in Ricatla, Marracuene district.

At the time, he said that LAM made a turnover of around 3.7 billion meticais in the first half of the year.

"It's a figure that's below projections," he acknowledged.

According to him, if the second semester's turnover is the same as the previous semester's, this year's total will be higher than the total turnover for 2023.

"Therefore, we expect a turnover of 19%," he said.