45 Zambia has secured one of Africa’s most consequential stages in aviation development. AviaDev Africa has confirmed the Southern African nation as the host of its 2027 edition, with Zambia Airports Corporation Limited (ZACL) stepping in as the official host partner. Travel News Africa reports that the announcement lands alongside the formal launch of the Airlift Zambia Initiative, a structured, government-backed plan to accelerate Zambia’s aviation connectivity across long-haul, regional, and intra-African markets. AviaDev Africa is the only conference on the continent dedicated exclusively to air service development. Previous events in Windhoek (2024), Zanzibar (2025) and Botswana (2026) resulted in tangible new route commitments by assembling airlines, airports, tourism authorities and government officials in the same room with a specific, results-driven agenda. Zambia’s selection as the 2027 host reflects both its rising aviation ambition and industry-wide recognition that the country has significant untapped potential. The Airlift Zambia Initiative: Building a Connectivity Roadmap According to a report by ATTA, the Airlift Zambia Initiative targets four specific gaps: closing missing links in the route map, attracting new international carriers, securing direct long-haul routes to Europe, the Gulf, Asia, and North America, and strengthening intra-African frequency. The groundwork, however, is already laid. Qatar Airways, Uganda Airlines, Fastjet Zimbabwe, and Eswatini Air have all started operations in the country. ProFlight Zambia has extended its regional reach with new services linking Lusaka and Livingstone to Windhoek and Gaborone, opening direct tourism and trade corridors across the sub-region. ZACL manages four international gateways, each with a distinct commercial function. Kenneth Kaunda International Airport in Lusaka handles business, diplomatic, and transit traffic. Harry Mwaanga Nkumbula International Airport in Livingstone opens the Victoria Falls corridor. Simon Mwansa Kapwepwe International Airport in Ndola anchors the Copperbelt’s commercial energy. And Mfuwe Airport connects travellers directly to South Luangwa National Park. The decentralised model deliberately pushes tourism benefits beyond Lusaka and positions Livingstone and Mfuwe as dedicated wildlife and adventure access points. ALSO READ: Air France vs Ethiopian Airlines vs Kenya Airways: Best Airline for Connecting Through Africa How United Nigeria Airlines Alliance with Guinea-Bissau Birth Air Bissau RwandAir 2026: Can Africa’s Newest Serious Airline Compete With Ethiopian Airlines? Zambia Aviation Connectivity Meets the Tourism Sector at Full Speed The aviation story tracks closely with Zambia’s broader tourism trajectory, and the numbers are striking. International arrivals rose from approximately 1.1 million in 2022 to 2.2 million in 2024, a 35.3% year-on-year increase over 2023, according to a 2025 report by Zambia’s Ministry of Tourism. Zambia recorded 2.3 million arrivals in the full year 2025. It set targets of between 2.5 and 3 million for 2026, with the government setting a longer-term goal of building a USD 1 billion tourism industry by 2031. To back those targets, Zambia allocated K1.5 billion, approximately USD 55 million, to the sector in 2026, covering infrastructure, wildlife conservation, destination marketing, and the opening of remote tourism sites. Tourism already contributes 7% to national GDP and supports 473,000 jobs, a figure projected to climb to 613,000 by 2034. Business tourism adds another dimension: Zambia ranks first in Southern Africa for business tourism spending under the WTTC Regional Index, with business traveller expenditure accounting for 63% of the total, more than double the continental average. Beyond Victoria Falls, South Luangwa, Kafue, and Lower Zambezi National Parks, Zambia holds a combination of political stability, an Open Skies policy, visa-free access for citizens of 167 countries, and an active macroeconomic reform programme, precisely the conditions that make international airlines willing to commit. For African travel agents and tour operators, the pitch writes itself: a less-crowded safari market with authentic conservation credentials, growing infrastructure, and improving access. AviaDev Africa 2027 gives Zambia a global stage. Whether the country converts that stage into a denser, more diversified route map will depend on the quality of the conversations it hosts and on its willingness to follow through. Africa and Tourism Impact: The Continental Read AviaDev Africa 2027 in Zambia arrives at a moment when several Southern and East African markets are simultaneously competing for new airlift. Botswana’s own Air Access Initiative has already driven a projected 56% increase in international seat capacity, growing from approximately 390,000 seats in 2023 to more than 607,000 by 2026. Kenya, Ethiopia, and Rwanda continue to dominate East African aviation through their well-capitalised national carriers. Into this environment, Zambia enters not as a follower but as a market with a coherent strategy and now a visible international conference mandate. The Airlift Zambia Initiative, if it executes on its stated objectives, could meaningfully reshape Southern African tourism flows. Improved connectivity to Livingstone strengthens the greater Victoria Falls tourism zone, which it shares with Zimbabwe, a region that benefits any time either country improves access. A denser Mfuwe route network would attract high-spending, conservation-focused travellers who currently route to the Serengeti or Okavango ecosystems because logistics are simpler there. For African tourism authorities watching from the sidelines, the Zambia story offers a clear lesson: structured route-development advocacy, backed by budget and political will, yields results. The country has more than doubled its arrival numbers in three years without a major new airline anchor, through visa liberalisation, targeted marketing (including partnerships with the BBC and Expedia), and deliberate infrastructure investment. AviaDev 2027 becomes the next chapter in that story. What it delivers in terms of new airline commitments will set the benchmark not just for Zambia, but for how the continent’s mid-tier destination markets compete for airlift in the years ahead. Africa’s aviation story moves fast. Read our full coverage of airline route developments, air access initiatives, and destination intelligence across the continent, right here on Rex Clarke Adventures. FAQs What is AviaDev Africa, and why does it matter? AviaDev Africa is the continent’s only conference dedicated exclusively to air service development. It brings together airlines, airports, tourism authorities, and governments for structured route development talks and connectivity strategy sessions. Past editions have translated directly into new air service launches, making it one of the most commercially consequential aviation events on the African calendar. What is the Airlift Zambia Initiative? The Airlift Zambia Initiative is a government-backed air access strategy managed in partnership with ZACL. It targets new long-haul routes to Europe, the Gulf, Asia, and North America, while also strengthening intra-African and regional connections. The initiative runs alongside Zambia’s broader tourism growth agenda, which targets between 2.5 and 3 million international arrivals in 2026. Which airlines have recently launched services to Zambia? Recent new entrants include Qatar Airways, Uganda Airlines, Fastjet Zimbabwe, and Eswatini Air. Proflight Zambia has simultaneously expanded its regional network with new routes connecting Lusaka and Livingstone to Windhoek, Gaborone, and Maun, deepening Zambia’s integration with the wider Southern African travel market. How has Zambia’s tourism sector grown in recent years? International arrivals rose from approximately 1.1 million in 2022 to 2.2 million in 2024, a more than 35% jump in a single year, before reaching 2.3 million across the full year 2025. The government is targeting between 2.5 and 3 million arrivals in 2026 and has allocated approximately USD 55 million to the sector to support that goal. Why should African travel agents pay attention to Zambia right now? Zambia offers a less crowded, conservation-led alternative to more established safari markets, with improving connectivity, visa-free access for 167 nationalities, and a growing luxury lodge infrastructure. As direct and improved connecting routes develop through the Airlift Zambia Initiative, early movers among travel agents who build Zambia packages and relationships with ground operators will be well-positioned to stay ahead of the curve. African aviationtourism developmenttransport infrastructureZambia tourism 0 comment 0 FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedinTelegramEmail Oluwafemi Kehinde Oluwafemi Kehinde is a business and technology correspondent and an integrated marketing communications enthusiast with close to a decade of experience in content and copywriting. He currently works as an SEO specialist and a content writer at Rex Clarke Adventures. Throughout his career, he has dabbled in various spheres, including stock market reportage and SaaS writing. He also works as a social media manager for several companies. He holds a bachelor's degree in mass communication and majored in public relations.