Lufthansa Consulting will work with Ceiba Intercontinental to reactivate flights

The Government of Equatorial Guinea has approved Lufthansa Consulting’s proposal to develop a master plan supporting the profitability of Ceiba Intercontinental and the creation of a new national airline.

The decision was taken during a working session held on Thursday, 10 April at the People’s Palace in Malabo, chaired by Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue. The Prime Minister in charge of Administrative Coordination also took part, along with the Ministers of Aviation, Finance and Treasury, among other government members. During the meeting, Catrín Drawell, Lufthansa Consulting’s Director for Africa and the Indian Ocean market, presented a detailed report on the current state of Ceiba Intercontinental and the options available to the Government, including recovery of the existing airline or creation of a new one.

Drawell explained that approximately four weeks will be needed to assess the feasibility of restructuring. After this assessment, a report will be presented to help the Government decide, followed by a business plan including recommendations on the type of aircraft the Government should acquire according to its needs.

Lufthansa Consulting also proposed training local staff so that, once their work is completed, Equatorial Guineans would manage the company. They also offer support in seeking alliances with other airlines and investors to make the market more attractive during project implementation. The Lufthansa Consulting representative noted that the proposal to create a new company, presented by Nguema Obiang Mangue, is more viable as it would require less time and cost, but with more effective planning and greater profitability security. However, she warned that this process would take around 18 months.

Based on their experience, they recommended keeping Ceiba in operation with domestic and regional flights while the new project is finalized, in order to establish a reliable and sustainable national network before entering the competitive international market.

After reviewing and considering the German company’s proposals, the Vice President approved the start of negotiations with Lufthansa Consulting during the following week, under the supervision of the coordinator in charge of administrative coordination.