Airzim fails to resume flights

outstanding salaries for pilots.
The national airline, previously known for excellence in service provision, was forced to suspend flights in July due to protracted labour disputes.

Acting chief executive Mr Innocent Mavhunga confirmed yesterday that the embattled national carrier failed to resume flights yesterday.
“The plan was to resume flights today (yesterday) but this arrangement has not been realised because we failed to access the amount that we require to enable us to resume flights,” said Mr Mavhunga.
“We were hoping that bankers who were working with our parent ministry would have released the money so that the flights can resume.”

On the amount required, Mr Mavhuga referred questions to the Ministry of Transport, Communications and Infrastructure Development.
Permanent secretary Mr Partson Mbiriri refused to comment.
Air Zimbabwe is saddled with huge domestic and external debts, which have paralysed its operations.

Apart from debts, the airline is also dogged by high operational costs emanating from the inefficiency of its aircraft and a bloated workforce. Its planes are operating at less than 40 percent efficiency as a result of their ageing state.
Before the strike, Air Zimbabwe was plying Harare-London, Harare-Johannesburg, Harare-Victoria Falls and Harare-Bulawayo routes.

A report by the National Economic Consultative Forum revealed that Air Zimbabwe could be losing US$8 million in potential revenue to foreign airlines per month.
Competing airlines such as South African Airways, British Airways, Zambezi Airlines and Kenyan Airways are currently plying most of the routes previously serviced by Air Zimbabwe.

This is tantamount to exporting jobs by a country with an estimated 80 percent rate of unemployment in the formal sector.
Concerns have already been raised that this year’s growth projections of the tourism sector might not be achieved as visitor arrivals in Victoria Falls, the country’s prime destination, have drastically declined as a result of limited access.

The grounding of Air Zimbabwe planes has resulted in massive cancellation of bookings by tourists who had planned to visit the Victoria Falls.
According to estimates, at least 80 percent of bookings have been cancelled so far since the national airline’s pilots went on strike in July.
However, business for operators of small planes has marginally improved due to the absence of Air Zimbabwe.

Aviation sources said some operators have increased flights on the Harare-Bulawayo, Harare-Victoria Falls and Bulawayo-Victoria Falls routes.