In a significant leadership transition designed to supercharge its regional expansion and operational capabilities, Zambia Airways has officially appointed aviation industry veteran Aman Wole Gurmu as its new Chief Executive Officer. Assuming the high-profile role on August 1, 2026, Gurmu brings nearly two decades of heavy-hitting international aviation experience to the national carrier, stepping in at a critical juncture for the airline’s long-term market strategy.
Gurmu transitions to Zambia Airways directly from the renowned Ethiopian Airlines Group. Over a career spanning more than 19 years, he has cultivated extensive expertise across multiple pillars of the aviation sector, including high-level airline leadership, advanced commercial strategy, sales, market development, and the forging of vital strategic partnerships. His impressive corporate track record features stints managing diverse, highly competitive international markets across Africa, Europe, and Asia. Notably, his past positions include serving as Regional Director for Mainland China and Mongolia, Regional Director for France and the Maghreb, and Director of Sales based in Addis Ababa.
Crucially, Gurmu is no stranger to the local landscape. He previously served as the Area Manager for Zambia, granting him deep familiarity with the nation’s specific aviation environment, business climate, and the expectations of local stakeholders. This rare blend of global operational exposure and localized market insight is expected to serve as a major asset as he charts the airline’s forward course.
The appointment of Gurmu also highlights a broader, compelling trend across the global aviation landscape: the rising prominence of executives trained within the Ethiopian aviation ecosystem. Widely celebrated as Africa’s most successful and efficient carrier, the Ethiopian Airlines Group has established an elite talent pipeline that is increasingly courted worldwide. This phenomenon is mirrored by other high-profile executive movements across the industry.
For example, former Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Tewolde Gebremariam assumed the mantle of CEO and Managing Director of Air India, while veteran executive Girma Wake stepped in to stabilize Uganda Airlines. These strategic placements underscore how leadership models forged in Africa are helping steer major international aviation entities toward stability and growth.
For Zambia Airways, Gurmu’s arrival reinforces the deeply collaborative ties it shares with its primary joint-venture partner, Ethiopian Airlines Group, which holds a robust 45 percent equity stake in the revived national carrier, with the remaining 55 percent held by the Zambian Industrial Development Corporation (IDC). This partnership has already yielded significant dividends in local capacity building, highlighted by five Zambian pilots recently completing advanced flight operations training through the joint initiative.
Welcoming the new CEO, Zambia Airways Board Chairperson Jomo Matululu expressed immense confidence in Gurmu’s leadership capabilities. Matululu emphasized that Gurmu’s international background and strategic vision will be indispensable in advancing the airline’s growth, efficiency, and competitiveness. He reiterated the Board’s unwavering commitment to building a safe, customer-focused, and market-driven carrier that seamlessly connects Zambia to regional and global opportunities.
Upon taking the helm, Gurmu remarked that leading Zambia Airways at this juncture is a profound honor. He outlined his core strategic priorities for the airline, placing paramount emphasis on uncompromising safety standards, structural operational excellence, continued investment in human capital, the strengthening of strategic alliances, and elevating the overall customer service experience.
Relaunched in December 2021 after decades of dormancy, Zambia Airways has steadily worked to carve out a permanent niche within the regional aviation market. With Gurmu now leading operations, combining his vast global acumen with deep regional insights, the airline enters a fresh chapter poised to sharpen its commercial edge and expand its footprint across African skies.
