Zimbabwe's Sol Air get IATA code

Zimbabwe's newly licensed private airline, Sol Air has been issued a code as an integral part of the travel industry, and essential for the recognition of an airline, its destinations and its traffic documents, said its Managing Director Nkosilathi Sibanda.

Known as the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Accounting Prefix, the code is a prerequisite for all airlines. This IATA Accounting Prefix will enable all transactions to be safeguarded, Zimbabwean news agency (New Ziana) quoted Sibanda as saying.

As the airline too can make transactions using the code, Sibanda added that international travel agents will be able to make arrangements for our customers and banks can also make payment guarantees in the event that the agents fail to pay us in time.

The accounting prefix can be also used in reservations, timetables, tickets, tariffs, air waybills, schedules publications and in airline interline telecommunications.

"Passengers from any part of the world can book with us. Even international airliners like Emirates can also arrange with us for domestic flights," he said.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe licensed Sol Air in February this year to become the country's third private airline.

Others are Solenta Aviation, which operates scheduled and non-scheduled services linking Harare, Kariba and Victoria Falls and a cargo carrier, Avient Aviation.

Meanwhile, Sibanda said the airline was still waiting for permission from the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Infrastructure Development to start flying.

Next week, Sol Air will be signing a lease agreement for a 90 seater CRJ 900 aircraft with a United States of America firm.

Over the years a number of private airlines have attempted and failed to start and maintain operations in Zimbabwe. These include Zambezi Express Airlines, Mannock Holdings, Mekias Aviation, Alliance Air and recently Fly Kumba, Nu-Aero and Vic Falls Airways.