Airfares and flights: Zambia 

International and regional airline access

• Zambia's primary international airports are in Lusaka (LUN),  Livingstone (LVI) and Mfuwe (MFU).  
• Best direct international links are via Gatwick into Lusaka.  Livingstone is likely to develop into a major international hub in Zambia over the next few years.  
• Best regional access is from Johannesburg, Harare, Lilongwe (Malawi), Nairobi (Kenya) and Dar es Salaam (Tanzania).

Zambia's main airports Lusaka International (LUN) Livingstone (LVI) Mfuwe (MFU) Lunga  Jeki

Domestic hubs in Zambia

Note that private air charters cover the domestic routes in Zambia and it's often more sensible to leave charter planning in the country to the individual camps and safari operators.

• Lusaka (LUN) itself is the primary safari hub offering access to Mfuwe and the Luangwa Valley plus Jeki and the lower Zambezi in the east plus the Kafue and Livingstone in the west.  Charters are available between Lusaka and Kariba in Zimbabwe.

• Mfuwe (MFU) is the secondary safari hub in the west and serves as both the North and South Luangwa.  Served from both Lusaka and Lilongwe on scheduled services, Mfuwe is an important hub for private charters into outlying safari camps and the strips at Lukusi (Nsefu Sector) and Mwaleshi (North Luangwa). Charters operate directly between Mfuwe and the Kafue and lower Zambezi.

• Livingstone (LVI) is an important secondary safari hub serving the greater Victoria Falls area from Zambia.  Livingstone is an air charter hub serving the Kafue, Lower Zambezi and Kasane in Botswana.

• Lunga is a secondary hub serving as the Kafue gateway with access onward access to the strips at Lushimba and Moshi.

• Jeki is the only regularly used strip serving the Lower Zambezi National Park.  Regular charter access is available from Lusaka, Mfuwe and Livingstone.

• Victoria Falls (VFA) in Zimbabwe is currently a better option for both international and regional access and is very easily connected by road to Livingstone.  Development in Livingstone over the next few years may change this....

Airlines and Charters in Zambia

• The national airline, Zambia Airways went bankrupt several years back and its routes are now covered by private charter companies providing reliable scheduled services between Lusaka, Livingstone and Mfuwe.  
• These flights are not integrated into Global Distribution Systems for reservations so it's best to arrange your flights into the country and then leave the rest with the local tour operators.
• Any unscheduled flights are arranged on either a seat rate or charter rate (whereby you hire the entire aircraft for a specific leg).  
• The main air charter bases are in Lusaka, Mfuwe, Lunga and Livingstone.  

Alternate travel options in Zambia

Travel by road: 

• Zambia has a poor road infrastructure with some notoriously bad roads and equally bad drivers. 
• If you're planning a self-drive safari, the more remote areas in particular require a 4x4 vehicle and a current and accurate update on road conditions is essential (a road report from the previous season is no guarantee that the given route is still passable) - certain areas should only be tackled in 4x4 convoy fashion.  Many areas are totally inaccessible in the rainy season.
• Coach services are available between Livingstone and Lusaka but companies come and go so advance planning should be done with caution.
• Local bus services are cheap, uncomfortable and dangerous.

Rail options in Zambia: 

• The TAZARA link between Kapiri Moshi and Dar es Salaam provides a relatively reliable connection between the two countries.  
• Zambia's own rail network doesn't provide any reliable and meaningful access to the safari destinations. 

Additional information on Zambia

• Pick up local contact details for arranging your own flights in Zambia

• Gather more info about Victoria Falls/Livingstone, the Luangwa, Kafue and lower Zambezi

• Zambia is regarded as the best walking safari destination in Africa with the Luangwa filling top spot

• Canoe safaris on the lower Zambezi are best accessed from Kariba in Zimbabwe unless included as part of a Zambian tour package

• Victoria Falls is regarded as "Africa's Adventure Capital" - Zambezi whitewater rafting is best done on the Zambian shoreline from Livingstone

• Find out more about Zambia's safari season

• Explore the full display map of Zambia for more detail

• Go to the Zambezi Webguide on Zambia

...plus...

• Zambia Tourism for a comprehensive travel guide to Zambia which includes maps and illustrated details on the major tourism destinations in Zambia.
• The Luangwa Safari Network: a complete guide to safaris and safari outfits in Zambia's Luangwa Valley, includes maps, travel guidelines and full details on all of the main safari operators in the region
• Robin Pope Safaris: Walking safari specialists in the Luangwa Valley, Zambia.

A guide to flight planning from SafariMall.com

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