Air Zimbabwe needs overhaul

it has already not happened given the events at the beleaguered national airline in the past few years.
From operating rickety planes that are a throw-back to the Stone Age technological era when compared with the modern fleet flown by its regional competitors, cancelled and rescheduled flights, unpalatable onboard meals to poor customer relations, Air Zimbabwe makes a mockery of how an efficient and customer-centric airline should operate.
The recent strike by its pilots marks yet another sad chapter in the history of the airline that is littered with very few snippets of good news. If the truth be told, Air Zimbabwe is no different from the organisation that was rapped on the knuckles for poor corporate governance. This was among a litany of other problems by the interim report of the Committee of Inquiry into Parastatals by Justice L. G. Smith, which was presented to Parliament in July 1986.
That is a long way back and by now, one would have expected things to change. Not at Air Zimbabwe it appears.
To the layman, it begs the question, what is so difficult to run an airline with such a small fleet, and with a virtual captive domestic market, and a regional market that is there for the taking? Why is it smaller airlines, like Air Malawi, for want of a better example, seem to be getting it right, yet Air Zimbabwe continues to limp from year to year, with no commercial success to show for management efforts?
While the strike by the pilots was regrettable, and was another nail in the airline’s already tarnished image, it was also useful in that it revealed to the general public the state of decay at the company.
According to presentations made to the Parliamentary Committee on Transport and Infrastructure Development, Air Zimbabwe has only five operational aircraft and nearly 50 pilots who have to take turns to fly them.
The airline has nearly 300 engineers to service a single plane, and the airline is raking losses of over US$2 million per month. Added to that, it is saddled with debts of over US$108 million, is unable to retire debts of nearly US$70 million and is operating on an overdraft. It has no money to replace its ageing fleet, now over 20 years, which under normal aviation rules, should be retired and used for cargo transport.
It is a divine miracle that we have had no mishaps at the airline when one considers the age of the fleet. Probably the fact that it has so many engineers waiting to service the small fleet is a blessing in disguise as they have all the time to sort out whatever technical problems they might find.
The planned purchase of a new fleet, reportedly from Airbus, will be a start in the right direction, but could be another disaster if the core of the airline’s strategic thrust is not solid.
There is no reason why Air Zimbabwe should watch with envy as its regional competitors such as South African Airways and British Airways ply the regional routes with such impunity if management had their ducks in a row.
If the airline is run properly as a private company, with a proper business plan, an accountable board of directors of business and commercial integrity and a visionary CEO who is given the operational and management mandate to revive the airline, there is absolutely no reason why Air Zimbabwe cannot become a force to reckon with.
Accountability in management means the next CEO should be appointed based on key performance targets, with clear consequences for failing to meet them. In short, the contract will not be renewed.
The same should apply to the board of directors. If under their watch the airline continues to sink in debt, what is the compelling reason to retain them?
Let the Government use this opportunity to clear the malaise at the airline, start from yet another clean slate, and hope that this time, we will get it right.
The airline needs new planes, it needs to improve its service standards to be able to compete with the global airlines flying into Zimbabwe. It needs to overhaul its customer service; it needs to go through a new step-change process that will make Zimbabweans proud to book a seat with the airline.
Right now, they rather fly on other airlines that depart on time, who do not reschedule or postpone flights at management’s whim and who offer efficient connecting options to regional and international destinations.
Is that not a paradox that when we should be proud to fly the national airline, we find any excuse under the sun to avoid flying on its planes?
It is nothing short of a national embarrassment that airlines such as SAA have become the first choice for Zimbabweans who want comfort, peace of mind and, above all, an efficient service.
Is that too much to ask of Air Zimbabwe?
l Sure Kamhunga is a Zimbabwean journalist based in South Africa.