News / National
Air Zimbabwe to resume local flights next Monday
13 Feb 2012 at 06:00hrs | Views
THE country's national flag carrier, Air Zimbabwe has announced plans to re-start local flights next Monday after weeks of self imposed suspension.
In a media statement on Sunday evening marketing and public relations executive Shingai Taruvinga said the airline would be back in the skies next Monday servicing Harare-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls route four days a week.
"The routes will be serviced on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The plane will leave Harare at 0700hrs and arrive in Bulawayo at 0815hrs before leaving at 0845hrs and arriving in Victoria Falls at 1000hrs. The plane will leave Victoria Falls at 1030hrs and arrive in Harare at 1215hrs," she said.
The resumption of flights will come as a welcome relief for travelers who had been left with no option but to uses road transport between the three destinations and that was affected tourism operations.
The airline is facing more than $149million debt and has been operating on a deficit since 1994 but the inception of the multi-currency system worsened the situation.
Foreign creditors are owed about US$30 million, and the rest is owed to government parastatals, such as Zimra and NSSA.
Early January, Air Zimbabwe took delivery of an Airbus A320 aircraft in a desperate bid to revive its waning fortunes.
Out of eight airplanes owned by Air Zimbabwe, less than five planes are functional as some have been grounded due to accidents and failure to secure spare parts.
In a media statement on Sunday evening marketing and public relations executive Shingai Taruvinga said the airline would be back in the skies next Monday servicing Harare-Bulawayo-Victoria Falls route four days a week.
"The routes will be serviced on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. The plane will leave Harare at 0700hrs and arrive in Bulawayo at 0815hrs before leaving at 0845hrs and arriving in Victoria Falls at 1000hrs. The plane will leave Victoria Falls at 1030hrs and arrive in Harare at 1215hrs," she said.
The resumption of flights will come as a welcome relief for travelers who had been left with no option but to uses road transport between the three destinations and that was affected tourism operations.
The airline is facing more than $149million debt and has been operating on a deficit since 1994 but the inception of the multi-currency system worsened the situation.
Foreign creditors are owed about US$30 million, and the rest is owed to government parastatals, such as Zimra and NSSA.
Early January, Air Zimbabwe took delivery of an Airbus A320 aircraft in a desperate bid to revive its waning fortunes.
Out of eight airplanes owned by Air Zimbabwe, less than five planes are functional as some have been grounded due to accidents and failure to secure spare parts.
Source - Byo24News
