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Walter Muchinguri : Assistant Business Editor
Air Zimbabwe will tomorrow (Saturday) re-introduce flights between Harare and the Tanzanian capital, Dar-es-Salaam. The airline had planned to relaunch the route on May 14 but had to shelve the event after the passing on of its public relations manager Mrs Shingai Dhliwayo. The launch will be held in Dar-es Salaam in the evening and will be headlined by the two countries’ Ministers of transport.The airline will be flying to Dar-es-Salaam twice weekly on Tuesdays and Saturday using its medium range aircraft.
The reintroduction of flights on the route, which were discontinued in 2009, was part of the airline’s strategy to integrate the region and also reclaim its former routes.
The re-introduction of the route comes at a time when Air Zimbabwe has also reintroduced flights between Harare, Johannesburg and Lusaka in addition to its local routes, while also planning to re-introduce international routes starting with the Harare-London route.
Last week Air Zimbabwe introduced additional flights on the Harare-Johannesburg route.
The second frequency are servicing the route every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.
Early this year Air Zimbabwe’s acting chief executive Mr Edmund Makona told journalists during the unveiling of the logo for the 48th African Airlines Association (AFRAA) annual general assembly in Victoria Falls in November that was geared to growing its route network ahead of the AGM, where it will be the host airline.
“We really are geared to grow our route network, so as we grow that route network I do not want to pre-empt but other than just to confess that it cannot be an airline without the attendant issues of growth otherwise there is no need for the management at Air Zimbabwe to preside over a still birth airline.
“We will be the host airline and carrier of choice during the general assembly and we cannot do that if we have not spread our wings. We want to assure you that by the time that the AGM takes place we will have spread our wings over the thin route network that we are currently operating we have started some initiatives but we would want to under promise and over perform,” he said.
Delegates to the International Air Travel Association meeting that was held in Victoria Falls last month said that there was need for greater connectivity by air among African states to facilitate inter regional trade and cooperation.
The delegates noted that it was very difficult to get direct flights from one African country to the other because African states are afraid to open up their skies to other African states yet they are ready to open up their skies to foreign airlines.
Online Reporter