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The cash-strapped national airline suspended flights in January when an aircraft that serviced the routes developed a mechanical fault.
International and regional flights remain suspended.
Air Zimbabwe acting public relations executive Mrs Shingai Taruvinga confirmed to Business Chronicle yesterday that her organisation resumed the flights.
“We have resumed the flights this morning and we are servicing the Harare-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls route three times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays,” she said.
The Safari Operators Association of Zimbabwe president Mr Emmanuel Fundira welcomed the reintroduction of flights by the airline.
“It is a good development that Air Zimbabwe has resumed domestic flights. We just hope the resumption of flights by the airline will be sustainable because we cannot have a situation where the airline flies today and tomorrow it is not there,” he said.
Due to a number of challenges crippling Air Zimbabwe, the airline has also lost its market share on the international market to its competitors.
Mr Fundira said although Air Zimbabwe had reintroduced its domestic flights, players in the tourism sector were receiving the development with a lot of scepticism.
“This kind of a development, where Air Zimbabwe reintroduces flights and few months later they are suspended has happened before and because of that players in the tourism sector receive the latest development with a lot of scepticism,” he said.
“So far, we do not have confidence in the country’s travel industry and even tourists will adopt a wait and see attitude before they start making travel arrangements with Air Zimbabwe.
“It is now imperative for it to ensure it continues servicing domestic flights to restore confidence.”
He said even delegates to the forthcoming Africa Travel Association conference to be held in Victoria Falls in a fortnight’s time did not have the national airline on their planning schedule.
The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority head of public relations and corporate communications Mr Sugar Chagonda echoed similar sentiments.
“It is a pleasing development that Air Zimbabwe has resumed domestic flights. We are happy because in the absence of Air Zimbabwe the issue of domestic tourism was being affected negatively. We hope the resumption of the flights is a long lasting one,” he said.
The flag carrier, which is seeking a strategic partner to restore viability of its operations lost during a decade of economic meltdown, is hamstrung with an estimated debt of $149 million, $30 million of which is owed to international institutions.
Meanwhile, players in the tourism sector in the resort town of Victoria Falls have welcomed the return of the troubled national airline, Air Zimbabwe after a four months lay off that had a negative impact on tourist arrivals.
The airline landed at the Victoria Falls International Airport yesterday at 9:40am en route from Bulawayo.
Although Chronicle could not ascertain the number of passengers on board, the Air Zimbabwe plane left for Harare about an hour later. Tour and adventure operators said the continued absence of Air Zimbabwe meant that the town was not connected to Harare and Bulawayo which negatively affected arrivals.
Recently, Hotel Association of Zimbabwe (HAZ) president Mr Tich Hwingwiri said the industry recorded less than 60 percent arrivals during Easter mainly due to the unavailability of Air Zimbabwe.
For taxi operators, the coming in of Air Zimbabwe also signals an increase in business as locals mostly use the taxis as opposed to regional and international tourists who will be having shuttle buses waiting for them on arrival.
Victoria Falls Airport Taxi Association members celebrated the return of the airline in anticipation of business in the coming weeks.
Online Reporter