LAM – We Take You As Far As Your Engine Can Take You

Alípio Freeman"

Who would have thought that one day, fifty years after Independence, we would have to thank the chapa for being safer than the luxurious planes of the flag carrier?

Yes, the same guy who sometimes drives without brakes, with the window held in place with wire, and loud, out-of-tune music.

Even so, they are more economically sustainable and safer than flying with LAM.

LAM – Mozambique Airlines, or as passengers affectionately call it, *We Take You As Far As The Engine Can Hold*

It is going through a phase of... how shall I say... post-apocalyptic inspiration. Long ago, it was the jewel of the African skies. The fleet paraded between Maputo, Lisbon, Johannesburg, Beira, Tete, Nampula... even Paris winked. Today? If it arrives on time and doesn't break down, the plane will arrive in Inhambane with a bit of luck, faith and a good life insurance.

The company, which before the 25th of June was the pride of Portuguese-speaking aviation, today has no more than three planes (and one that has been in permanent retirement since 2017).

And even these three go on technical strikes of their own accord: they fly when they want, land when they can, and if they break down... well, sometimes they fix it in mid-air! Literally. A pilot, it is said, already travels with a toolbox in the cockpit. Maximum safety, Wild West style: trust in God and fasten your seatbelt.

The most poetic thing about all this is that the President of the Republic has already acknowledged, with that air of someone who has given up on life, that the management of LAM is a Wild West. Mr. President, with all due respect: we knew this from the film "Air Cowboys: The Return of the Loose Parts."

The LAM horror story has it all: corruption, embezzlement of funds, scrap metal pretending to be planes, and of course, abusive use by the ruling party. It is said that some politicians don't even use passports – LAM is their aerial Uber. "Boss, get the jet ready, I'm going to Pemba to get a haircut and come back!" And who pays? The people, of course. The same ones who make a will before getting on the Boeing of discord.

In fact, there was a time when travel was international. Today, the most that can be done is a Maputo-Beira flight with a stopover in... prayers. They say that if you hear a strange noise during the flight, it's not the engine, it's the party's ticket collector counting votes for the next elections.

But there is hope! Or rather, there is faith. Because hope has already been taken for maintenance in Johannesburg and has not yet returned. A blind faith that, one day, the company will fly again like in the old days. That the planes will have new parts, that the mechanics will have training beyond YouTube and that the managers will understand that the plane is not a chicken to be patched together with hot glue.

For now, here's the appeal: if you're traveling with LAM, believe me that you'll be able to have a drink with your friends and hug your children again. And if you fly... good luck!

All we can do is dream of a new era where flying in Mozambique is not an act of faith, but of logistics and safety.

See you then!

2025/12/3