Fly Kumba suspends operations

Fly Kumba, has suspended operations with immediate effect barely 12 months after taking to the skies.

At the time of the launch, the airline cost half what Air Zimbabwe charged and four times less than travelling on South African Airways on the Bulawayo-Johannesburg route.

Insiders at the airline confirmed the development, saying the company had been facing operational challenges for a long time.

"There are nagging issues that management is currently dealing with," said an official.

"The airline encountered a number of operational challenges that have resulted in the suspension of operations."

The airline placed adverts in the local media at the weekend saying: "The management and staff of Fly Kumba (Pvt) Ltd would like to apologise to all its valued clients and agencies for the cancellation of its flights from January 8 2011. The airline is currently working on refunding all affected passengers."

Fly Kumba was operating a Boeing 737-500 leased from Air Namibia with a capacity of 108 passengers.

The airline had anticipated taking advantage of the country's economic and business growth, resulting in an increase in the percentage of travellers.

At its launch, the budget airline said it intended to become the country's preferred low-cost airline, delivering the lowest air fares with the highest consumer value and offering world-class service.

The demise of the Fly Kumba comes at a time when Air Zimbabwe is reportedly operating at a loss of $2 million a month and has a debt of up to $64 million.