Lo FB,
I heard it on the radio and I normally listen to KFM - might have been 5FM. My son confirmed he read it in the Burger as well this week.
He confirmed it was BA and it had to do with cargo and high fuel prices.
Still searching - would like to 100% confirm it for you !
Cheers,
Gunzzz
While searching I found this .. :
A KENYA Airways plane yesterday failed to land at the Lusaka International Airport due to lack of jet fuel.
And energy minister George Mpombo yesterday announced that the diesel crisis that has hit the country for over a week was expected to end today. ......
http://allafrica.com/stories/200508020949.html
Sorry been editing and editing this post ... just found it
Gunss is going into relax mode as I felt sheit ...
Mhhh hthe old memory is still ok even if I say so myself
BRITISH Airways has cancelled its freight services from Zambia on its Boeing 747 cargo plane.
And the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) has warned the Zambian government that the high price of jet fuel is damaging the aviation market in the country.
British Airways country commercial manager for Zambia Nilanthi Manatunga announced the decision last night during a briefing at Lusaka\'s Holiday Inn Hotel.
She attributed the withdrawal of the freight services to the high cost of jet fuel in Zambia, noting that it was no longer profitable for the airline to continue with the service.
The withdrawal of the freight services is with effect from August 9, 2005.
And Zambia Export Growers Association chief executive Luke Mbewe has said the cancellation of flights from Zambia by British Airways will have serious repercussions on the growth of the non-traditional exports sector.
"We depend on air flights for almost 100 per cent of all exports. If British Airways decides to withdraw from servicing the route to Zambia, that will cause us lots of problems because we will have no way of getting into the international market," Mbewe said.
"The existing flight charters will not be adequate, especially with regard to the European market."
Mbewe said the export of cut flowers and fresh vegetables to the European market currently earned Zambia in excess of US$60 million annually from the export of 13,000 tonnes of the commodities, while about 12,000 people were directly employed under the sector.
And according to a letter from IATA and AASA dated July 6, 2005 addressed to among others the finance, energy, transport and tourism ministers as well as the Energy Regulations Board, airlines operating in Zambia face additional costs for their fuel and this will potentially result in carriers reducing or even cancelling their services to Zambia with clear adverse consequences on the economy.
The letter, which was signed by IATA assistant director fuel services Keith Carter and AASA chief executive John Morrison, called on the government to effect an immediate interim reduction of 20 per cent on the price of jet fuel.
"It is understood that members of the Zambian government share the airlines\' concerns over this situation, and wish to see reductions in the national interest," the letter stated.
"We would request that an immediate interim reduction is made to the official price level, which could then be adjusted further. We would suggest that a reduction of 20 per cent would be appropriate and reasonable."
The duo also stated that airlines would like to see a competitive market price, reflecting the logistics and distribution costs and based on the Arab Gulf community value in due course.
Currently, the price of jet fuel at Lusaka International Airport is 40 per cent higher than Johannesburg International Airport and 38 per cent higher that both Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam international airports.
Compared to Windhoek and Harare, the price of jet fuel in Lusaka is 27 per cent and 12 per cent more respectively.
http://allafrica.com/stories/200507280162.html