Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Reporter
ZIMBABWE is making significant strides in modernising its air traffic control communication and surveillance systems, a development that is enhancing flight safety and positioning the country as a regional aviation leader.
This was revealed by the Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Joshua Sacco, while delivering the keynote address at the 36th International Federation of Air Traffic Controllers’ Association (IFATCA) Africa and Middle East Regional Conference in Victoria Falls yesterday.
The conference, which has drawn aviation professionals from across the region, is being held under the theme: “Securing the Skies: Strengthening Air Traffic Management Capacity through Strategic Recruitment, Training and Retention.”
Deputy Minister Sacco outlined Government’s comprehensive programme to revamp the country’s aviation infrastructure, a critical pillar of the national vision for an empowered and prosperous upper-middle-income society by 2030.
“The Government of Zimbabwe embarked on an exercise to revamp our country’s aviation infrastructure and services, which has seen our three international airports undergoing modernisation and expansion,” he said.
Dep Min Sacco further announced a series of technical upgrades that have fundamentally improved the safety and efficiency of the country’s national airspace.
“We also witnessed the modernisation and improvement of our airspace and air traffic management systems by installing the secondary surveillance radar system, implementation of air traffic control communications system and the installation of the Doppler Very High Frequency Omni Directional Range/Distance Measuring Equipment,” he said.
Dep Min Sacco said this modernisation programme significantly improved flight safety and operations in the national airspace.
These state-of-the-art systems represent a multi-million-dollar investment in aviation safety.
The secondary surveillance radar allows air traffic controllers to identify aircraft with greater precision, tracking not just their position but also their altitude and identity.
The Doppler VOR/DME provides pilots with highly accurate navigational guidance, enabling safer landings and more efficient routing, especially in challenging weather conditions.
Deputy Minister Sacco linked these infrastructural advancements to Zimbabwe’s broader commitment to global aviation standards, as outlined by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).
He said hosting two major aviation events — ICAO AFI Week in May and the IFATCA conference just six months later — underlines Zimbabwe’s seriousness in aligning with global safety, air navigation and regulatory benchmarks.
Deputy Minister Sacco said this has been through the establishment of the Aviation Training Academy of Zimbabwe (ATAZ) in 2022, which works in tandem with the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (Caaz) Air Traffic Services (ATS) Training school.
“This training academy plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of our aviation industry by offering ICAO courses and other aviation related courses. The ATS School, with its state-of-the-art facilities and experienced instructors, continues to produce highly competent air traffic controllers,” he said.
He described ATAZ as a tangible institutional mechanism, which enables to adopt measures meant to position the nation as a major player in enhancing implementation of international aviation standards in the region, sub-region and in the national jurisdiction.
Deputy Minister Sacco reaffirmed Zimbabwe’s support for the Global Air Navigation Plan (GANP) and its commitment to reducing the aviation sector’s environmental footprint under the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (Corsia).
He said efforts were underway to reduce emissions by optimising flight paths, exploring cleaner energy sources and developing sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which he described as a “low-hanging fruit”.
Zimbabwe’s modernisation of its airspace systems, combined with strategic training, global engagement and sustainability initiatives, signals the country’s ambition to strengthen national air safety and emerge as a competitive aviation hub in the region.
