Govt struggling to make Air Zimbabwe visible

Revelations have emerged that the government of Zimbabwe is currently struggling to restore the visibility of the Air Zimbabwe to be competitive to other incoming independent airliners.

This emerged when Senator Damian Mumvuri asked Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Jorum Gumbo during senate seating that the national airline Air Zimbabwe  has seen competition from various airlines and what was the government doing to make it competitive.

"Is our national airline Air Zimbabwe visible and when will it resume international flights like Gatwick and Heathrow? Secondly, have you found a partner to improve the services offered by our national airline Air Zimbabwe?," he asked..

Gumbo said what is happening at Air Zimbabwe was the interest of everyone.

"I want to explain that the government is trying to come up with measures on how we can bring the national airline to its visibility. We are trying to ensure that we restore its operations and also improve on our airports such as Victoria Falls as well as Harare International Airport. With the difficulties that we are facing as well as the sanctions that the country was facing, it was difficult for us to acquire parts to keep our planes in good shape,"Gumbo said.

"So, the sanctions were affecting us. Where we are as government is that we have got to a point whereby we are looking for partners like what other countries are doing on the issue of airlines. Throughout the world Mumvuri and all those in this House, the airline business is struggling in all countries. Most countries are now in partnership when it comes to airlines to ensure sustainability and viability."

"You said that Air Zimbabwe and the challenges that we were facing is doing quite well because if you look at other countries that do not have difficulties like us Zimbabwe, we were able to maintain our flights although they were few, but we used to service our routes. What we have mentioned about international flights to Gatwick and London, it is an issue that we are discussing as government to ensure that we restore these routes. We have some loans which have affected our routes because when an aircraft passed through a particular country, it attract fares or taxes," he added.

Gumbo said those are some of the challenges that they have.

"What I want to guarantee you is that the Government has plans to restore the national airline visibility and also to get others to partner with to ensure that our national airline becomes a strong and powerful airline like other countries," he said.