Air Zimbabwe to start offering daily flights

Published: 10 June 2013

CASH-STRAPPED national carrier, Air Zimbabwe will in the next two weeks start offering daily flights to Johannesburg, Harare and Bulawayo when the servicing of one of its two A320 airbuses and an MA60 aircraft currently now underway has been completed.

The national carrier leased the two airbuses last year to enhance its market share during the United Nations World Tourism Organisation general assembly to be held in Victoria Falls in August.

The recently-appointed chairman of the airline's board, Mr Ozias Bvute, said one of the airbuses was currently undergoing checks in South Africa while the MA60 was being serviced locally.

"We hope the process will be completed in the next two weeks," he said. "Once the check is completed, we will take this opportunity to fly from Harare to Johannesburg and Bulawayo on a daily basis. The airbus has newer technology. It has more fuel efficiency and will help boost our efficiency as a national carrier."

He said the airline was in the process of acquiring Embrier jets to be used to increase the frequency of the regional flights.

"The jets and the airbuses will be the basis for our regional flights and we should be able to see tangible results in the foreseeable future," he said.

Mr Bvute said the national airline was hoping to reinstate some of the profitable routes they were no longer able to service once the second airbus and the jets were ready to take to the skies.

The A320 Airbus is a long-range four engine commercial passenger airliner manufactured by Germany-domiciled company Airbus, a subsidiary of EADS, considered a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services.

It is anticipated the acquisition of the new planes would make economic sense as a cost-cutting measure since they are fuel efficient and are likely to lure customers at a time when the airline has been facing many challenges.

Airzim has been struggling to regain its standing after a decade-long recession.

Mr Bvute said the board was working hard to restore public confidence in the MA60 that will be reintroduced on the Harare-Bulawayo route after it ran over warthogs during take-off in 2009.

The plane was extensively damaged in the accident and two of the 34 passengers sustained minor injuries resulting in the flight from Harare to Bulawayo being cancelled.

"Without taking anything from those that might have been traumatised by the event, accidents do occur. For Airzim to be held liable for warthogs that were on the runway is a bit far-fetched, but ultimately we would want to provide a service that is reliable and affordable and we are working towards that," he said.
- Zimpapers

Tags: AirZim,