Online Reporter
CHAPMAN Freeborn president, Linas Dovydenas, says the resumption of Air Zimbabwe’s direct flights between Harare and London is an “important milestone” for the national airline.
Air Zimbabwe is reintroducing the direct flight from the end of this month and will start with an initial three flights a week service.
Chapman Freeborn, a British aviation services company, played a big role in the deal which will see Air Zimbabwe flying from Harare to Gatwick.
The service will be operated by Spanish carrier Plus Ultra using an Airbus A330 under a long-term lease agreement organised by Chapman Freeborn.
The UK firm provides private air passenger and cargo charter services, aircraft leasing,
Ultra will provide the aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance, while the flights will operate under Air Zimbabwe’s flight code.
Dovydenas, the Chapman Freeborn IMEA president, said this was a huge moment for Air Zimbabwe.
“This is an important milestone for Air Zimbabwe and a significant step in restoring direct connectivity between Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom.
“We are proud to have played an important role in supporting this project, working closely with Air Zimbabwe and Plus Ultra to help deliver the right structure for the route.
“Across Africa, we continue to see growing demand for flexible capacity solutions as airlines look to rebuild networks, respond to passenger demand and manage fleet requirements more efficiently.
“ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance) can play an important role in supporting that growth, particularly on strategic routes where speed, flexibility and operational reliability are essential.”
The route is expected to restart by the end of this month, reconnecting Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom after more than 14 years.
The route represents more than the return of an air service.
It re-establishes an important commercial, tourism and cultural link between the two countries, while improving travel options for the Zimbabwean diaspora, business travellers and tourists.
It is also expected to support direct air freight capacity for time-sensitive exports, including horticultural and perishable products destined for the UK market.
Daniel Huggins, a director at ACMI & Leasing at Chapman Freeborn, said:
“Long-haul ACMI programmes require close coordination between airlines, operators, aviation authorities and commercial partners, from aircraft suitability and planning to regulatory requirements and operational readiness.
“In this case, our team supported the project from a capacity and contract management perspective, helping to bring together the right structure for a strategically important route.
“This project demonstrates how collaborative capacity solutions can help airlines restore important routes and bring strategic services back to market.” — H-Metro Reporter/travelweekly.co.uk/panafricanvisions.com
Bongani Ndlovu