Business / Companies
FlyAfrica prepares to take off
05 Mar 2016 at 22:59hrs | Views
FLEDGLING local airline FlyAfrica is expected to take to the skies soon after obtaining an operating licence from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (Caaz).
Caaz withdrew FlyAfrica's operating licence in October last year due to heated shareholder disputes and failure to meet statutory requirements.
It had earlier resumed operations in August 2014.
At the time that the brand was introduced onto the local market, the business was jointly owned by Fresh Air – controlled by the Karase family – and Mike Bond of South Africa, which operated under a franchise from Mauritian-headquartered FlyAfrica Limited.
The airline is now wholly-Zimbabwean owned by Nu-aero.
Apart from shareholder differences, it is also understood that FlyAfrica was not remitting passenger service charges to Caaz and did not have an accounting manager in violation of Statutory Instrument 140/2010.
But FlyAfrica re-organised itself and obtained the Air Operators Certificate from Caaz on December 23, 2015.
The airline will begin by servicing the Harare-Johannesburg route. lt joins Air Zimbabwe and South African Airways on the fiercely contested route.
Caaz chief executive officer, Mr David Chaota confirmed to The Sunday Mail Business that FlyAfrica has met all the standards prescribed under local aviation regulations and was now fully registered.
"We have given them the licence to fly. It is now up to them as to when they will make their first flight," said Mr Chaota.
Nu-Aero chairman, Mr Cassidy Mugwagwa said the first flight in their newly-acquired and branded B737-M500 jet would begin once training of pilots is completed.
The pilots are currently undertaking refresher courses and simulated training with Com-Air in South Africa. Mr Mugwagwa said the pilots have been on training for the past three months.
"As soon as they complete the various stages they are going through, we will be ready to start," he said.
Fares are expected to be US$40 for a one-way ticket from Harare to Johannesburg.
Mr Mugwagwa said the establishment of Nu-aero was driven by Government's pursuit to empower local citizens through the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act.
Meanwhile, the airline said that it has fulfilled all outstanding payments to passengers who lost their bookings when they abruptly ceased operations.
Some of the passengers were re-routed on other flights while others who preferred refunds received them.
Before the withdrawal of its operating licence last year, FlyAfrica had set in motion plans to launch regional routes from Harare to Lusaka (Zambia), Lubumbashi (DRC) and the Victoria Falls-Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) route.
Caaz withdrew FlyAfrica's operating licence in October last year due to heated shareholder disputes and failure to meet statutory requirements.
It had earlier resumed operations in August 2014.
At the time that the brand was introduced onto the local market, the business was jointly owned by Fresh Air – controlled by the Karase family – and Mike Bond of South Africa, which operated under a franchise from Mauritian-headquartered FlyAfrica Limited.
The airline is now wholly-Zimbabwean owned by Nu-aero.
Apart from shareholder differences, it is also understood that FlyAfrica was not remitting passenger service charges to Caaz and did not have an accounting manager in violation of Statutory Instrument 140/2010.
But FlyAfrica re-organised itself and obtained the Air Operators Certificate from Caaz on December 23, 2015.
The airline will begin by servicing the Harare-Johannesburg route. lt joins Air Zimbabwe and South African Airways on the fiercely contested route.
Caaz chief executive officer, Mr David Chaota confirmed to The Sunday Mail Business that FlyAfrica has met all the standards prescribed under local aviation regulations and was now fully registered.
"We have given them the licence to fly. It is now up to them as to when they will make their first flight," said Mr Chaota.
Nu-Aero chairman, Mr Cassidy Mugwagwa said the first flight in their newly-acquired and branded B737-M500 jet would begin once training of pilots is completed.
The pilots are currently undertaking refresher courses and simulated training with Com-Air in South Africa. Mr Mugwagwa said the pilots have been on training for the past three months.
"As soon as they complete the various stages they are going through, we will be ready to start," he said.
Fares are expected to be US$40 for a one-way ticket from Harare to Johannesburg.
Mr Mugwagwa said the establishment of Nu-aero was driven by Government's pursuit to empower local citizens through the Indigenisation and Economic Empowerment Act.
Meanwhile, the airline said that it has fulfilled all outstanding payments to passengers who lost their bookings when they abruptly ceased operations.
Some of the passengers were re-routed on other flights while others who preferred refunds received them.
Before the withdrawal of its operating licence last year, FlyAfrica had set in motion plans to launch regional routes from Harare to Lusaka (Zambia), Lubumbashi (DRC) and the Victoria Falls-Kilimanjaro (Tanzania) route.
Source - sundaymail
