Sol Air gets license to operate a private Airline in Zimbabwe

The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) has licensed a third private airline, Sol Air, to service domestic and international routes, an official said yesterday.

The operating certificate takes effect from 28 January 2012.

Hostile policies, a decline in tourist arrivals into the country since 2000 and lack of capital to run private airlines have stifled development of the aviation industry in Zimbabwe at a time when demand for faster and efficient transport systems has been growing.

Zimbabwe has two other registered private airlines namely Solenta Aviation which operates scheduled and non-scheduled services linking Harare, Kariba and Victoria Falls and a cargo carrier, Avient Aviation.

Sol Air managing director Mr Nkosilathi Sibanda said the company would start with domestic routes using a 19-seater aircraft.

"We are grateful since we have been waiting  for this opportunity for quite sometime. If all goes well, within the next three to four weeks we will start domestic operations. We will be  acquiring bigger aircraft in due course. We are currently in talks with two companies in Dubai  and South Africa to lease us three 70-seater aircraft and the talks will be concluded within a month," he said.

Mr Sibanda showed New Ziana the operating certificate and other documents signed by the Ministry of Transport and Communication and CAAZ to confirm the latest development.

He said the airline had secured the support of an international financier who would soon avail $3,5 million.

"The money is coming soon. The international lenders are willing to do business with Zimbabwe since exchange risk has been eliminated by the adoption of multiple currencies in the country," he said.

Sol Air has been designated the Bulawayo-Francistown-Gaborone, Harare-Bulawayo, Bulawayo-Victoria Falls and the Harare-Masvingo-Buffalo Range routes.

Mr Sibanda said Sol Air would also strive to service other international routes such as the Harare-Nairobi, Bulawayo-Johannesburg, Victoria Falls and other lucrative routes.

Over the years private airlines have been shut out of dominant routes like Harare-Victoria Falls and South Africa to protect the ailing Air Zimbabwe.

While Government has continued to keep   home-grown airlines out of the lucrative Harare-Johannesburg route, South African  airlines have enjoyed rich pickings, riding on a bilateral agreement allowing them to fly 56 flights per week.

Mr Sibanda said Sol Air had already been granted an International Air Transport Association (IATA) code YZ.