ZIMBABWE AIRWAYS — the new debt-free airline rising out of
the ashes of Air Zimbabwe — is in advanced talks with a Brazilian company to
lease five aircraft to service underserved regional routes, it has been learnt.
Government said last negotiations were ongoing but would
not name the lessor. However, sources told The Sunday Mail Business that the
firm in question could be ECC Leasing, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Brazil’s
Embraer.
Embraer established ECC in 2002 to manage and market its
pre-owned aircraft. The Brazilian aerospace conglomerate is the world’s third
largest civil aircraft manufacturer, and supplies companies like Fastjet with
equipment ideal for budget and low-cost services.
The 48-year-old Embraer raked in more US$6 billion in
revenues in 2015, and produces the EMB (suitable for the military), ERJ 145 (50
passengers), Legacy 600 (263 passengers), Lineage (21 passengers), LR and
Phenom.
In 2013, Air Zimbabwe leased its first 50-seater Embraer
jet from Johannesburg-based Solenta Aviation and used it for domestic routes.
On April 4 the following year, Government announced its
intention to lease two more Embraer jets for local and regional destinations.
But last week Transport and Infrastructure Development
Minister Dr Joram Gumbo said Government had “not spoken to Embraer”.
“The issue at hand is that the planes that I think we may
lease are Embraers because they are small and they carry about 50 passengers.
“I can’t afford long-haul aircrafts for the region. I am in
the middle of negotiations to lease planes; that is a fact. I realised that
partnerships may give use headaches . . . I want to keep the national flag (on
the planes), so leasing would be ideal . . . The negotiations are very advanced
at the moment,” he said.
ECC Leasing’s director corporate of communications for
Europe, the Middle East and Africa Mr Guy Douglas would neither confirm nor
deny any deal.
“Thank you for contacting me with your questions. However,
we do not comment on speculation or rumour. Sorry I am unable to help further,”
said Mr Douglas.
Government indicated last week that it was also looking at
long-haul planes.
Dr Gumbo said: “I am looking for long-haul planes. I want
the long-haul planes to do long distance routes such as London-Harare,
Harare-Dubai, Harare-Kuala Lumpur, Harare-Cape Town and Harare-Lagos.
“But as I look for those long-haul planes, I am looking for
a minimum of six smaller planes to ply regional routes. These smaller planes
would feed passengers into the long-haul aircrafts that would be plying long
distance routes.”
For four years, Air Zimbabwe was considering re-introducing
a milk run — an air service that includes Harare, Bulawayo, Hwange, Victoria
Falls and Kariba — to facilitate efficient services. Government has also wants
to fly to regional routes like Angola, the DRC, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia and
Zambia; and international destinations the UAE and Singapore.
“When our flights brought passengers at Harare
International Airport, (long haul planes) would carry them to London, Dubai,
Singapore, Nigeria and Cape Town.
“That is what I am trying to do because I can’t just have
beautiful airports and fail to have a good plan for them. So those are my
plans,” explained Dr Gumbo.
In November last year, Government commissioned the
refurbished Victoria Falls International Airport and plans are underway to
spruce up Harare International Airport.
Victoria Falls International Airport can now handle
wide-bodied aircraft such as the Boeing 747, Airbus A330, and can cater for 1,5
million passengers a year. Sunday Mail
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