Zimpapers Logo

Oliver Kazunga Senior Business Reporter
AIR Zimbabwe has applied to the United Kingdom for certification to resume the Harare-London route as part of its gradual approach to route expansion. The airline was forced to suspend the Harare-London route in 2012 by the London navigation agency over a $2,8 million debt that Air Zimbabwe is negotiating to clear.

Air Zimbabwe acting general manager cargo and passenger services Mr Christopher Kwenda said the date for resumption of Harare-London flights is dependent on when they would get the greenlight to service that route.

“We intend to resume our flight from Harare-London but we’ve to go through a certification with the United Kingdom authorities,” he said in an interview on the sidelines of the just ended Sanganai/Hlanganani World Tourism Expo in Bulawayo.

“We’ve applied for a route licence and part of that application requires us to have a third party operator certification through the European Union. And once we get the go ahead to service the route we’ll announce the date of resumption of flights on the Harare-London route.”

At present, the ailing parastatal is facing operational challenges arising from a number of factors among them high operational costs, low load factors and a huge debt overhang amounting to about $300 million.

Despite the challenges bedeviling Air Zimbabwe, Mr Kwenda said the airline has the capacity to service the Harare-London route, which was lucrative when they suspended operations on that route.

“When we suspended flights to London that route was very lucrative. And as you know that our population in the Diaspora has grown significantly since the time we suspended operations, we’re quite optimistic that if we’re to resume the flights we’ve the capacity to service that route. This is despite the operational constraints that we have at present,” he said.

In 2014, the ailing parastatal re-introduced the Harare-Johannesburg route after airline cleared its debts with some South African creditors. And as part of its turnaround strategy, Air Zimbabwe early this month introduced the Harare-Dar es Salaam route.

Commenting on this route Mr Kwenda said: “We’re happy with the response we’re getting from that route. We’re doubling our marketing efforts to achieve load factors that can sustain the route”.

Last week, the Transport and Infrastructural Development Parliamentary Portfolio Committee chaired by Chegutu West legislator Dexter Nduna presented a report before Parliament stating that Air Zimbabwe is losing $3 million a month and is technically insolvent.

It said the airline was generating an estimated revenue of $2,65 million a month against an operational expenditure of $5,94 million. The committee called for an urgent review of Air Zimbabwe’s strategic plan to transform the airline into a vibrant entity.