MASERU — A new aviation company on Monday introduced domestic flights to ferry passengers throughout Lesotho.
The Mountain Airways Company will also provide cross-border flights to selected destinations.
It becomes the second airline after South Africa’s Airlink to operate in Lesotho.
“The airline will transport people to different mountainous places and will carry 10 people and luggage,” Dieter Meyer, a manager at the airline, said.
He said the airline was established in 2008.
“We are running this operation with the minimum aircraft to establish its viability and if needed will increase our fleet,” Meyer said.
Meyer said a second domestic flight is expected to start operating from tomorrow.
Molelekoa Mafitoe, a marketing manager with the airline, said they want to make it easy for tourists visiting Lesotho to travel around the country.
Minister of Public Works and Transport Tšele Chakela said there was a high demand for domestic flights especially in the mountainous areas.
“There is a high demand for domestic flights in order to reach the mountain areas,’’ Chakela said.
Chakela said Mountain Airways had met the requirements to set up an airline for domestic flights.
“Mountain Airways met all the requirements and were issued with a temporary air- craft operating licence,” Chakela said.
He said in the past the government had to hire a helicopter at a cost of about M4 000 from the Lesotho Defence Force when there was need to undertake urgent flights to far-flung areas such as Qacha’s Nek.
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