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Bianca Mlilo, Business Reporter
NATIONAL airline Air Zimbabwe has appointed Captain Ripton Muzenda as chief executive officer.

He takes over from Mr Edmund Makona who has been at the parastatal’s helm on an acting capacity since 2013.

Air Zimbabwe has been operating without a substantive chief executive officer since January 2011 when the national flag carrier did not renew Dr Peter Chikumba’s contract.

Following the non-renewal of Dr Chikumba’s contract, Mr Innocent Mavhunga was appointed acting chief executive officer before his dismissal in 2013.

In a statement yesterday, the Air Zimbabwe board said Capt Muzenda brings with him vast experience and knowledge in the aviation field.

“The board is excited to announce and welcome Capt Ripton Muzenda as the new chief executive officer for the national airline. Capt Muzenda assumed duty on Monday August 15, 2016,” it said.

It said Capt Muzenda has been an airline pilot for over 25 years and held the posts of senior training captain and examiner at Air Zimbabwe.

He worked for Singapore Airlines and held the posts of Boeing 747- 400 captain, management pilot line operations and crew resource management facilitator.

Capt Muzenda holds a Masters in Business Administration in Aviation Management from Coventry University in the United Kingdom.

He is expected to spearhead the crafting and implementation of a turnaround strategy for the ailing parastatal and stop its financial bleeding.

The 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.

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

The committee said the airline was generating an estimated revenue of $2,65 million a month against an operational expenditure of $5,94 million.

@BiancaMlilo