Proflight Zambia

What Proflight Zambia does

Proflight Zambia is Zambia's largest privately held airline, founded in 1991 by former Zambian Airways pilot Tony Irwin (now Managing Director) and operated from Lusaka. The company runs a scheduled passenger network covering nine domestic destinations (Lusaka, Ndola, Solwezi, Mfuwe, Livingstone, Mansa, Kasama, Kalumbila, Lower Zambezi with seasonal Kafue/Chunga service) plus regional routes to Johannesburg, Cape Town, Windhoek, and Maun. Revenue is generated primarily through ticket sales on transaction-based fares (ZIP low-cost fares within 21 days, standard return fares, youth/child/infant discounts), supplemented by cargo transport via Bidair and ZEGA, charter operations through sister company Procharter, and interline/code-share revenue from Turkish Airlines, Air Tanzania, and RwandAir. The customer base spans tourism (safari operators and Victoria Falls visitors), mining-sector business travel on Copperbelt routes, government officials, and visiting-friends-and-relatives domestic travelers.

The operating stack centers on a fleet of four 50-seat Bombardier CRJ-200 jets (leased from Avmax Aircraft Leasing Inc) and four 29-seat Jetstream 41 turboprops plus one Jetstream 32, supported by an in-house maintenance organization with AMO C-check approval on Jetstream J4100 since 2014. Distribution is multi-channel: direct via the flyzambia.com e-commerce site, Proflight offices in Zambia and South Africa, travel agents via the Travelport Global Distribution System with settlement through BSPLink and ARC Memo Manager, and connecting flights with CemAir and FlySafair. Distribution, booking, and audit workflows run on a Videcom VARS agent portal and are supplemented by a Knowledge Portal for trade partners and safari lodges. IOSA safety registration was achieved in January 2026, the airline transitioned to a fully cashless payment system in November 2024, and interline ticketing integrations with Turkish Airlines (November 2024) and Air Tanzania (December 2023) materially extended its effective global reach.

Recent scale signals include 279,212 passengers served in 2023 (versus a 230,000 target), headcount expansion from 144 to over 250 employees between 2021 and 2023, multiple new routes launched across 2021–2026, and ownership concentrated with an experienced Zambian senior management team in which only one position was non-Zambian. Leadership comprises Managing Director Tony Irwin, Chairman Captain Philip Lemba, Director of Flight Operations Captain Josias Walubita, Director Maintenance Oliver Ndlovu, Corporate Director Chitalu Kabalika, Sales and Marketing Manager Barbara Namwila, and Human Resource Manager Modestus Mwachindalo. There are no institutional investors, no parent company, and no recorded funding rounds; the company is privately held with a sister-company relationship to charter operator Procharter.

Name

Proflight Zambia

Legal name

Proflight Zambia

Website

https://proflight-zambia.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Proflight Zambia is Zambia's largest privately held scheduled airline, operating 9 domestic destinations plus regional routes to South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana using Bombardier CRJ jets and Jetstream turboprops, serving tourism, mining, and business travelers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Airline Services

NAICS

Scheduled Passenger Air Transportation (481111), Scheduled Air Transportation (4811)

SIC

Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional Network Full-Service Airlines (Hub-and-Spoke) (THABAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Thin-Route / Rural Community Regional Airlines (THABACAI), Interline/Codeshare-Integrated Regional Airlines (Non-CPA) (THABACAG), Network Airlines (Full-Service, Flag & Regional) (TLAFAAAA)

Keywords

• Scheduled passenger flights
• Regional airline services
• Domestic air travel
• Charter flight services
• Cargo air transport

Headquarters

HQ city

Lusaka

HQ country

Zambia

HQ region

Africa

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Scheduled Passenger Services: Core revenue from scheduled domestic and regional passenger flights across Zambia, South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia.
2. Cargo Services: Cargo transportation on scheduled flights using Bidair and ZEGA partners from Johannesburg and Lusaka respectively.
3. Charter Services (Procharter): Charter flight services through sister company Procharter for custom travel requirements.
4. Interline and Code-share Agreements: Revenue from interline ticketing agreements with Turkish Airlines, Air Tanzania, and code-share with RwandAir enabling seamless multi-airline journeys.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Proflight Zambia operates scheduled passenger airline services across a network of nine domestic destinations in Zambia (Lusaka, Ndola, Solwezi, Mfuwe, Livingstone, Mansa, Kasama, Kalumbila, Lower Zambezi) and regional routes to South Africa (Johannesburg, Cape Town), Namibia (Windhoek), and Botswana (Maun). The airline also provides charter flight services through its sister company Procharter and cargo transportation via partner networks (Bidair, ZEGA). Interline and code-share agreements with Turkish Airlines, Air Tanzania, and RwandAir extend connectivity to global destinations.

Product overview

Proflight Zambia operates as Zambia's largest airline with a fleet of four 50-seater Bombardier CRJ-200 jets, four 29-seater Jetstream 41 turboprops, and one 18-seater Jetstream 32 aircraft. The core product is scheduled passenger flights covering nine domestic destinations (Lusaka, Ndola, Solwezi, Mfuwe, Livingstone, Mansa, Kasama, Kalumbila, and Lower Zambezi) and regional routes to South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. Additional offerings include sister company Procharter for charter services, ZIP Fares low-cost ticket option, Comfort Seat upgrades, Web Check-In and Manage My Booking online services, Connecting Flights with interline partners including Turkish Airlines and Air Tanzania, Special Assistance for passengers with disabilities, and the Knowledge Portal for trade partners. The airline was established in 1991 and operates from its base in Lusaka.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scheduled Domestic Passenger Flights Scheduled domestic airline services connecting nine Zambian destinations (Lusaka, Ndola, Solwezi, Mfuwe, Livingstone, Mansa, Kasama, Kalumbila, and Lower Zambezi Jeki/Royal airstrips) plus seasonal Chunga airstrip in Kafue National Park. Operates using Bombardier CRJ jets and Jetstream turboprops. Designed for tourists, business travelers, and VFR (visiting friends and relatives) travelers needing reliable connectivity across Zambia.
• Scheduled Regional Passenger Flights Scheduled regional airline services connecting Zambia with Johannesburg and Cape Town (South Africa), Windhoek (Namibia), and Maun (Botswana). Lusaka-Johannesburg operates double daily with 13+ weekly flights; Lusaka-Cape Town direct service was launched in May 2023. Aimed at cross-border business, tourism, and diaspora travelers in the Southern African Development Community.
• Procharter Charter Services
• Cargo Transportation Services
• Turkish Airlines Interline Ticketing

Quantifiable outcome

• 279,212 passengers served in 2023, exceeding target of 230,000
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Turkish AirlinescoreTechnology or Integration · 1 November 2024Proflight Zambia's first interline ticketing agreement with a European airline partner. Effective November 2024, allows Turkish Airlines to issue tickets connecting passengers seamlessly to Proflight's domestic and regional routes. Turkish Airlines operates to 349 destinations globally (296 international, 53 domestic in 130 countries).
• Air TanzaniacoreTechnology or Integration · 18 December 2023Interline ticketing agreement between Proflight Zambia (P0/659) and Air Tanzania (TC/197) allowing seamless ticketing across both airlines' networks. Provides access to destinations including Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg, Durban, and Cape Town.
• CemAirminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership agreement with South African airline CemAir. Proflight clients can use CemAir's ticket sales desk at OR Tambo International Airport and call centre. Seamless connections on one ticket between networks including Lusaka, Ndola, Livingstone, Mfuwe on Proflight and Plettenberg Bay, Margate, Johannesburg on CemAir.
• FlySafairminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorConnecting flights within South Africa sold through Proflight Reservations by email or WhatsApp. FlySafair connecting flights not available to book online.
• Avmax Aircraft Leasing InccoreOthersCanadian aircraft leasing company that signed three-year lease agreement for Bombardier CRJ-200 aircraft. Delivered second CRJ200 enabling fleet expansion.
• Move Aircraft Solutions LtdminorOthersManaged delivery of CRJ aircraft from America to Lusaka including challenging ferry routes from Calgary Canada via multiple countries following high safety standards.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Air Botswana: National carrier of Botswana operating regional routes including the new Maun corridor where Proflight is launching in May 2026; closest head-to-head geographic competitor on Botswana routes.
• FlySafair: South African low-cost carrier and Proflight interline partner operating connecting flights within South Africa; competes indirectly on price-sensitive regional routes.
• Air Tanzania: Tanzanian flag/regional carrier of similar scale that signed an interline agreement with Proflight in Dec 2023; operates regional jet service across East and Southern Africa.
• Airlink (South Africa): South African regional airline operating a comparable hub-and-spoke model with regional jets and turboprops across Southern Africa; overlaps directly with Proflight on Lusaka-Johannesburg and is the most relevant scale and business-model peer.
• CemAir: South African regional airline with comparable fleet size (regional jets) and direct partnership with Proflight at OR Tambo; serves a similar niche of secondary-city connectivity.
• RwandAir: Rwandan flag carrier and Proflight's first codeshare partner (2015); similarly sized regional carrier with hub-and-spoke model in East Africa and growing intercontinental reach.

Broad incumbents

• South African Airways: South African flag carrier with established interline agreement with Proflight; larger incumbent competing on key regional routes including Johannesburg.
• Ethiopian Airlines: Africa's largest carrier with extensive interline network across the continent; provides connecting feed through Addis Ababa and competes for regional corporate traffic.
• Kenya Airways: Larger East African flag carrier with broader network and intercontinental operations; competes for regional connecting traffic and is an established IATA member with similar codeshare-style partnerships.

Emerging players

• Fastjet: African low-cost airline group with prior operations in Zambia and other Southern/East African markets; historical direct overlap with Proflight's value-segment positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/proflightzambia
• Facebookfacebook.com/ProflightZambia
• Instagraminstagram.com/proflightzambia

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Proflight Zambia