LAM struggles with grounded aircraft

Addressing Deputy Transport Minister Manuela Rebelo during a tour of the company’s facilities in Maputo early this week, LAM Technical Director Pascoal Bernardo said the other three aircraft were grounded due to a variety of technical problems.

However, he said some of the spare parts have already been ordered from the manufacturers and the repairs would be hastened to ensure that all the grounded aircraft are returned to service as early as possible.

The grounding of the aircraft has hurt the company's domestic and regional flight schedules, with delays and disruptions that led to the cancellation of many flights in recent days.

Deputy minister Rebelo said despite the disruption of flights, it was necessary to ground the aircraft until the technical problems were attended to and fixed.

"If the equipment, even in the smallest detail, is not air-worthy, then it is important for the aircraft to be grounded because passenger safety comes first," she said.