Ever since the coronavirus pandemic brought the world to an unforeseen halt, tour operators, travel companies and governments have been looking for ways to revive the tourism sector, without having to compromise on the safety of passengers.
Being an indispensable part of the travel industry, airlines too were compelled to figure out how they could fly customers and crew while strictly maintaining the Covid-19 protocols and regulations.
Now, with the mass vaccination programs being underway in several countries, airlines are gradually starting to find their footing again.
Proflight Zambia becomes the latest African airline announcing it has begun operating flights with fully vaccinated crew, to ensure maximum safety of their passengers, following in the footsteps of other leading African airlines like Ethiopian and RwandAir which was also the first in the continent to have reached 100%vaccination rate in March.
The flight from Lusaka’s Kenneth Kaunda International Airport to Johannesburg took of with fully vaccinated crew members on its flagship 50-seater Bombadier CRJ-100 jetliner on the 10th of August.
“This is an important milestone for Zambia’s aviation industry as we flying into the new normal”, said Proflight Zambia Director Flight Operations Captain Josias Walubita.
“As Zambia’s leading airline, we will do all we can to help eradicate the virus while also minimising its impact on local air travel.”
Flight Zambia says that it is vaccinating eligible crew members and frontline staff not only to ensure their safety and health but also to make their passengers feel safe and reassured as they fly with them. The airline continues to encourage its staff to get vaccinated in order to protect themselves and the passengers from the spread of the virus.
Captain Walubita also added that the airline recognised the vaccine’s role in COVID-19 prevention, noting that having a vaccinated crew was cardinal in helping airlines effectively combat the spread of the virus and ensure passenger safety.
“I feel confident being out there after getting vaccinated, I know that I’m safe and that the passengers are also safe in my presence.” Senior Flight Attendant, Penjani Kakwende.
Facemasks are mandatory for passengers and crew on all flights, while surfaces like armrests, tables, seats, and others that passengers may come into contact with on the plane are thoroughly disinfected after each trip.
By Victor Shalton Odhiambo
