By CHILA NAMAIKO –
THE Zambia Air Force (ZAF), a leading provider of air mobility in the country under its Air Transport Support Command (ATSC), is offering an array of both rotary and fixed wing aircraft for hire to members of the public.
ZAF public relations director Mutale Kasoma said the institution was committed to empowering key players in the economic sector to deliver sustainable development to the hard-to-reach parts of the country by roads.
Lieutenant-Colonel Kasoma said in an interview yesterday that ZAF was aware of areas that could not easily be reached by road, hence taking a proactive measure to offer aircraft hiring services.
“We have a number of aircrafts for transport at the disposal of the general public for hire to the key players of our economy to go to far-flung areas of this country which are inaccessible by roads so that they are able to take sustainable development in those areas,” he said.
Lt-Col Kasoma was at the 91st Agricultural and Commercial Show in Lusaka being held under the theme ‘Promoting a Green Economy’.
Among aircraft for hire were MI-17 helicopter, Z-9 helicopter, MA-60 Aircraft and Y-12 Aircraft, which offered transport services such as the conveyance of VVIPs and VIPs, casualty and medical evacuations, search and rescue missions, as well as movement of cargo to areas unreachable by road.
ZAF had also beautiful banquet halls for hiring such as one at Air headquarters in Longacres, Chamba Valley and in Livingstone.
He said ZAF’s pop band, the legendary Air Power Band was equally at hand for hiring and the Nkoloma Stadium, the home ground for the Red Arrows Football Club.
In interpreting this year’s theme of ‘Promoting a Green Economy’ Lt-Col Kasoma said the focus was timely because ZAF was tackling it through efficient use of resources.
He said the institution saw the promotion of the green economy as being cardinal in the area of addressing global degradation and warming to preserve the earth.
He said that ZAF was adding value to the sustainability of the earth through air mobility as a key player in the economy in the remotest areas to take development.
Lt-Col Kasoma said ZAF was exhibiting at the Show this year for the first time as in the past, it only provided an aircraft for displays to the show-goers.
Secretary to the Cabinet Roland Msiska also visited the stand and hailed ZAF for its exhibition.