"The delivery period was rescheduled to this year. Unfortunately because of the lockdown, the delivery is yet to take place, the delivery period will be worked out", Shadreck Luwita said in an interview.
Zambia considered buying an additional four jets but the diplomat said that no new deliveries were being negotiated for the time being, as the country was still waiting for the first jet to arrive.
The Russian industry and trade minister said in late 2018 that the aircraft would be flown to Zambia in 2019. The delivery was suspended over lack of funding and rescheduled to 2020 but fell through because of the pandemic.
The SSJ100, a regional jet designed by Russian aircraft company Sukhoi, is a twin-engine plane that can carry up to 98 passengers and fly at a distance of up to 2,470 miles (3,975 kilometres).