Air Zimbabwe tenders for smaller aircraft

Transport and Infrastructure Development minister Obert Mpofu yesterday disclosed that his ministry would today gazette a notice to invite tenders to supply Air Zimbabwe with smaller aircraft to service domestic and regional routes.

The minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Obert Mpofu said the tender will be for some specified aircrafts.

Firstly, they will float a tender for our domestic and regional requirements which the Tender Board will be dealing with this week.

He said the decision was part of the turnaround process for the national airline under the guidance of the parent ministry.

The leased aircraft were expected to service the Golden Triangle of Harare - Johannesburg - Victoria Falls.

Air Zimbabwe services Harare, Bulawayo, Victoria Falls, Johannesburg, Lusaka, Lubumbashi, London, Kuala Lumpur and Beijing.

Recently, a 50-seater Embraer ERJ 145LR plane leased to Air Zimbabwe by Solenta Aviation was withdrawn.

Mpofu said they will this week gazette tenders for specified aircraft for AirZim starting with smaller planes which can carry between 35 and 50 passengers to service local and regional routes.

Meanwhile, cabinet ministers and top Zanu-PF officials including Simon Khaya Moyo, Obert Mpofu and Ray Kaukonde are locked in a bitter wrangle over an aircraft tender deal following the cancellation of an Air Zim leasing contract with a South African aviation company.

This follows the cancellation of Solenta Aviation contract with Air Zim in mid March amid indications Zanu-PF factionalism and business rivalry could have played a part.

The aircraft was leased from Innscor.