Air Zimbabwe a shell, says CEO

The new Air Zimbabwe (AirZim) chief executive officer (CEO), Ripton Muzenda, has spoken for the first time about his opposition to the ongoing scramble for strategic partnerships, saying the airline has become a shell.

Air Zimbabwe was once the envy of Africa's aviation industry but has been ruined by years of mismanagement, political meddling, corruption and poor capitalization.

Muzenda said AirZim's current scope of work could not be sustained by the massive and costly infrastructure that it has to continue supporting. He was addressing delegates at the 48th African Airlines Association (AFRAA)'s annual general assembly (AGA) in Victoria Falls last week.

Three months after taking over the hot seat, Muzenda indicated that the hunt for a technical partner could be premature.