Flights to Mzuzu Set for Comeback in Eight Weeks as Government Moves to Fix Airport Gaps
Government has announced that domestic flights to Mzuzu will resume within the next eight weeks, signalling a long-awaited restoration of air connectivity to the Northern Region after months of disruption that have strained business, tourism and mobility.
Minister of Transport and Public Works Jappie Mhango, speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, said authorities are racing to complete critical upgrades at Mzuzu Airport to meet minimum safety and operational standards before commercial flights can restart.
The announcement came in response to a query from Moses Kunkuyu (Dedza Mlunduni) on the possibility of expanding operations under the existing partnership with Ethiopian Airlines through Malawi Airlines, with Mhango confirming that Malawi Airlines currently operates two daily flights between Lilongwe and Blantyre but is prioritising the return of the Mzuzu route.
“We expect domestic flights to Mzuzu to resume within the next eight weeks,” Mhango told the House, setting a firm timeline tied to ongoing infrastructure works.
The minister disclosed that a test flight conducted on October 10, 2025 exposed serious safety and operational deficiencies at Mzuzu Airport, forcing authorities to halt flights until the gaps are addressed.
He outlined the shortcomings as including a narrow runway, inadequate passenger handling facilities, limited fire and rescue coverage, lack of security scanners, and the absence of a perimeter fence, all of which fall below required aviation standards.
“These gaps had to be addressed before resumption of operations to ensure safety and compliance,” Mhango said, underscoring that the suspension was driven by safety concerns rather than capacity constraints.
Airport Development Limited (ADL) is now implementing corrective works to resolve the deficiencies, supported by a K1.5 billion allocation in the 2026/2027 National Budget, as government pushes to restore operational readiness and reconnect the north to the country’s air network.
Mhango said the resumption of flights is part of a broader strategy to reposition Malawi’s aviation sector as a driver of connectivity, trade and economic growth, noting that government has signed six Bilateral Air Services Agreements in the past three years to expand route access and increase capacity.
He maintained that aircraft availability is not a major constraint, pointing instead to infrastructure readiness and regulatory compliance as the key bottlenecks affecting expansion.
The minister also pointed to ongoing work on the Airport City Project at Kamuzu International Airport, where a feasibility study is underway to develop a long-term masterplan aimed at transforming Malawi into a regional aviation hub in line with the Single African Air Transport Market framework.
The prolonged absence of flights to Mzuzu has drawn criticism from stakeholders in the Northern Region, who argue that the disruption has undermined business operations, tourism and access to essential services, deepening regional imbalance in connectivity.
The eight-week commitment now places government under pressure to deliver, with the reopening of the route seen as a critical test of its ability to restore confidence in the country’s domestic aviation system and unlock economic activity beyond the main urban centres.
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