Air Zimbabwe’s revival efforts have received a boost after
Government indicated that two of the four Boeing 777-200 ER planes bought from
Malaysia will be in the country by month-end.
This comes as Government is finalising assumption of the
national airline’s US$380 million debt which has seen Air Zimbabwe struggling
to court investment partners.
Transport and
Infrastructural Development Minister Joel Biggie Matiza said Government has
fully paid for the two passenger planes. He said the delivery of the two planes
dove-tailed with Government’s plan to revive the national airline.
“Two of the planes have already been fully paid for and we
are expecting them in the country this month,” he said.
Minister Matiza said they were working on the routes the
planes would be plying and announcements would be made once that was finalised.
Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli
Ncube told the National Assembly on Tuesday that the country would soon take
delivery of two planes from Malaysia. “I must say that we have been
sufficiently been briefed by the Ministry of Transport that at least one
aircraft will arrive before Christmas and maybe, by year end 2019, both planes
from Malaysia will arrive,” he said.
“We have paid for the aircraft. So, we are making progress
in our quest to rebuild credible Air Zimbabwe. On Air Zimbabwe
recapitalisation, Treasury takes note of the need to come up with an innovative
mechanism for us to do a debt assumption of US$381 million for Air Zimbabwe in
turning around the airline.”
The delivery of the two B777s follows the delivery of an
Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft about two months ago.
Air Zimbabwe has largely been operating two serviceable
aircraft, but only one has been flying of late.
The national airline expects to have one of its Boeing
737-200s back in the skies soon to complement the 767-200ER now servicing
domestic and regional routes.
It services the Harare-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls route daily
in the morning and then flies to Johannesburg four times a week and Dar es
Salaam in Tanzania twice a week.
The other planes have been grounded due to old age and
shortage of spares and foreign currency.
Another Air Zimbabwe plane has been parked at O.R Tambo
International Airport in South Africa for some time and efforts are underway to
bring it back home.
Aviation experts have called on Air Zimbabwe to improve air
connectivity to complement Zimbabwe’s drive to attract foreign direct
investment as well as enhancing tourist arrivals.
Other regional airlines have taken advantage of improved
tourist arrivals, particularly in Victoria Falls, following the expansion of
Victoria Falls International Airport, to increase their frequency.
Victoria Falls is one of the local destinations that is
widely publicised by foreign travel agents. Herald
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