Maputo, June 30, 2025 (Lusa) - The state-owned airline Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique (LAM) said on Sunday that the company’s new manager, Dane Kondic, should work on an “exclusive basis” after the airline announced his appointment as chairman of the Botswana airline as well.
“The board called an extraordinary meeting for Sunday, 29 June 2025, during which it reaffirmed that the duties of chairman of the LAM management committee should be carried out on an exclusive basis, ensuring total dedication to the company’s restructuring process,” reads a statement from the Mozambican flag carrier sent to the media.
At issue is the appointment of Dane Kondic, chairman of the LAM management committee since May, to the position of chairman of the board of directors of Air Botswana, as announced by the country’s carrier this weekend.
“Air Botswana welcomes its new board of directors. Their appointment marks a new chapter in the airline’s history, as it continues its journey of service, resilience and national pride,” reads the airline’s announcement, seen today by Lusa.
According to LAM, Air Botswana appointed Kondic as non-executive chairman of its board of directors, an advisory position that he exercises on a “part-time basis with a focus on strategic guidance”.
Meanwhile, LAM’s board of directors met today to assess the “potential risks of conflicts of interest”, given that the Mozambican and Botswana airlines operate in the regional market, considered a “strategic hub” for the expansion of the Mozambican carrier.
“Following the meeting, the board decided that Kondic should perform his duties at LAM on an exclusive basis, and he accepted this decision,” the company said in the document, adding that talks are underway with the manager to “enable the implementation” The parties consider the decision “essential for the continuity of his duties” at the head of the management committee.
LAM also said it has “full confidence” in Kondic’s technical, strategic and leadership skills, acknowledging his “fundamental role” in the recovery and modernisation of the airline.
Dane Kondic, 60, has dual nationality (Serbian and Australian) and, among other positions in airlines in various countries, has been chairman of the board of directors of Portugal’s EuroAtlantic.
The Mozambican Institute for the Management of State Holdings (Igepe) announced on 13 May the replacement of LAM’s management and the appointment of a management committee chaired by Dane Kondic.
LAM’s extraordinary general meeting approved the decision as part of the “revitalisation process” for the state-owned airline, and the resolution produced “immediate effect” on the functions of Marcelino Gildo Alberto, chairman of the board of directors, and directors Altino Xavier Mavile and Bruno Miranda.
The companies approved the appointment of a non-executive board of directors, composed of representatives of the three state-owned companies that became LAM shareholders this year, namely Hidroelétrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB), Portos e Caminhos de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM) and Empresa Moçambicana de Seguros (Emose).
Consultancy firm Knighthood Global announced in May that it had three months to “stabilise and reposition” LAM, explaining that the government of Mozambique appointed it to help revitalise the company and “the country’s aviation sector in general”.
For several years, Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique has been addressing operational challenges related to a streamlined fleet and limited investment. Experts attribute some non-fatal incidents to opportunities for improving aircraft maintenance.
LN/ADB // ADB.
Lusa
