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leaving the airline still struggling. In 2012 the national carrier resumed domestic and regional operations and since then, it has not looked back. The new board appointed by Transport, Communication and Infrastructure Development Minister Nicholas Goche in February led by well known banker, MR OZIAS BVUTE (OB), now has a chance to take the airline to the next level. Herald Business Reporter RUMBIDZAYI ZINYUKE (RZ) caught up with Mr Bvute to discuss how his new board plans to turn around the fortunes of the national flag bearer.
RZ: What is the mandate of this new board?
OB: As a board, our mandate is to ensure that AirZim gets back to a position where it can sustain itself and become a profitable entity.
RZ: How long do you think it will take to get the national airline to start operating full-scale?
OB: The first step is to be cognisant that the airline had problems then the next step would be to map out how we can get out of those problems. Two things have already occurred towards this because the Ministry of Transport appointed Ernst and Young as consultants and together they worked on a blueprint for the revival of the airline which has since been entrusted to the board.
RZ: How many routes is AirZim plying at the moment and what is the load factor on current flights?
OB: We have limited flights at the moment. There is the Harare-Johannesburg and Harare-Bulawayo-Vic Falls route but we are earmarking a number of other routes. In the coming month, we hope to be flying to Bulawayo and Johannesburg daily. It will take quite a bit of work but we are sure it can be done. Given the fact that we are using equipment that has a fairly large seat capacity, and the new aircraft on the regional route, we would be flying at 40-50 percent of capacity.
RZ: How big is your fleet at the moment?
OB: A lot has been said about our fleet, but the reality is that even though the fleet is supposedly aged, in terms of mileage, the aircraft are still fairly new. Some work must be done to refurbish the fleet but we can still use these for a number of years before they can be discarded. We have three 767s, three Boeing 737s, three MA60s and two AB20s. Some of these aircraft are not in service. We acquired two airbuses, one of which will begin flying to Johannesburg in about two weeks and we are also in the process of acquiring Embrier jets that will also increase our regional routes in the foreseeable future.
RZ: Which international aviation body are you affiliated to?
OB: There is every plan to ensure that we continue to be a member of the international community and we are working towards rebuilding our relations with IATA and l am confident that with time it will be possible.
The ministry has done quite a bit of work in getting us back on the reservation system and we are now back on Travel Port, passengers can now buy electronic tickets.
RZ: What measures are you taking to convince people to trust flying with AirZim again?
OB: There was a period when AirZim was the darling of Zimbabweans and foreigners, and then came a time when the economic situation made it difficult for the airline to carry out its mandate and a lot of people were disappointed. The bond of trust between the airline and the passenger was broken. We are saying we acknowledge this and we are apologetic for that was not our intention. However, let us rebuild a relationship and work together to make the airline better.
It’s a process and it will take time but at the end of the day once there is a common belief that we are reliable things will begin to change. We hope we will be able to provide value to our customers because we know that our hospitality is second to none.
RZ: What is your staff complement? And how is the staff morale in view of the problems that have been experienced at AirZim?
OB: The airline has a fairly large staff complement. At this stage we would like to engage with all the workers and it’s a process until we get to an understanding between all the parties in terms of where we want to go. Morale cannot be at its best given that we are not at our optimal, but l don’t think AirZim is the only one in that boat. It’s a sign of the hard times our economy is in but with time we want to raise that morale to a point where everyone is confident and proud to be associated with the airline.
RZ: There was an issue of retrenchments at AirZim some time back, has that been resolved?
OB: Retrenchment was undertaken years ago but it was not concluded. However, at the moment we cannot start talking about retrenchments when we have to deal with recapitalisation of the airline. Once we have done that, we will assure workers that within the context of our recapitalisation programme, there is a provision for the payment of whatever is owed to them. In the coming week or two we are going to engage all workers’ unions to hear them out and reach an understanding and this is a dialogue between the parties and we are not yet at the stage of retrenchments.
RZ: How much is needed for the recapitalisation of AirZim?
OB: At this stage it would be wrong to brandish figures in the public domain but save to say we are now clearer on what we need to do to get it work and we will try to make it. It will take time but it’s a plan that just might work.
RZ: How far have you gone with the hunt for a substantive CEO?
OB: We have put an advert for an MD in the press and there have been responses. We are in the process of deciphering through them and hopefully by the end of April we will be able to reach some form of conclusion. We are open to discussions with any person who would like to work with us and make this entity work.
RZ: Do you plan to create synergies with other airlines?
OB: Naturally, it is only normal that we create synergies with other airlines and where possible, we try to strengthen those relationships that already exist. l am sure over time we will be able to achieve this. We intend to work with all parties that are interested in working with us to make sure that AirZim succeeds.
RZ: Are you still looking for a strategic partner?
OB: When you look at partnerships it has to be on equal footing. First we have to get to a point where we are self-sustaining and we are flying to a reasonable level. We want to at least become attractive so that people want to deal with us then we can begin looking for a strategic partner.
RZ: What are the issues that you think Government should address to get the national airline back in business?
OB: Government has already been addressing the problems faced by AirZim, they have shown that they want the airline to exist and offered to work with us to do just that. I am sure Government will continue to work towards making the national airline self-sustainable.
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