Proflight Zambia has expanded its fleet to 13 aircraft after acquiring three BAE Jetstream 41s from Eastern Airways, adding capacity to its domestic network and supporting connections between South Africa and destinations across Zambia.
The acquisition increases the airline’s Jetstream 41 fleet from four to seven aircraft. Proflight says the additional aircraft will allow it to increase frequency and capacity across its domestic network, while providing greater flexibility when aircraft are undergoing scheduled or unplanned maintenance.
Three aircraft join fleet
The 29-seat turboprops have been flown from North Lincolnshire in the UK to Lusaka by Proflight’s own crew.
The airline says the Jetstream 41 is already an established part of its fleet, giving it existing operational, maintenance and crew capability to integrate the additional aircraft.
Before departing the UK, all three aircraft received the necessary regulatory approvals, were placed on the Zambian register and issued their 9J registrations.
Proflight now operates seven BAE Jetstream 41 aircraft, five Bombardier CRJ-200 50-seat passenger jets and one Bombardier CRJ-100 parcel freighter.
More capacity across Zambia
The additional aircraft will allow Proflight to increase frequency and capacity across its domestic network, while also providing greater operational redundancy.
This gives the airline more flexibility when aircraft are unavailable because of scheduled or unplanned maintenance, which Proflight says will help protect flight schedules and reduce disruption.
The investment also creates the potential for new domestic and international routes in 2027, although the airline has not announced specific new routes.
South Africa connections
Proflight currently operates services between Johannesburg and Lusaka, Cape Town and Lusaka, and Cape Town and Livingstone.
From Lusaka and Livingstone, passengers can connect onwards to destinations including Mfuwe, home to South Luangwa National Park, Livingstone, Ndola in the Copperbelt and other commercial and leisure centres.
The additional capacity therefore has implications for South African travellers using Zambia as a destination or connecting onwards within the country for business and leisure.
Tourism demand grows
The fleet expansion comes as Zambia targets 20% growth in domestic tourism in 2026.
“The purchase of these aircraft will enable the airline to meet growing local demand and support our commitment to providing safe and reliable connectivity across Zambia, even as the country targets 20 per cent growth in domestic tourism in 2026. We are extremely proud of our flight and maintenance crew, who successfully ferried the three aircraft from North Lincolnshire in the UK to Lusaka, Zambia.”
Captain Josias Walubita, Proflight Zambia’s director government and industry affairs, said the aircraft had been flown to Lusaka by the airline’s own crew.
“Proflight Zambia welcomes the additional three BAE Jetstream 41 29-seat turboprop aircraft, which have now been flown home to Lusaka by our very own crew,” said Walubita.
The airline says Zambia continues to attract South African visitors travelling for business, holidays, safari experiences and visits to friends and relatives. The expanded domestic operation is intended to make onward travel within Zambia easier for passengers arriving from South Africa.
