Air Zimbabwe to take delivery of its second Airbus aircraft

Air Zimbabwe will soon take delivery of its second Airbus A320 aircraft as the state-run airline intensifies efforts to revive and regain passenger confidence and end the chaos that at one time resulted in the suspension of flights.

Radio VOP was briefed this week that some representatives of the airline from the quality assurance department and some engineers on Saturday flew to France to carry out an aircraft acceptance inspection and finalise the paperwork processes before the delivery of the aircraft expected before next Tuesday.

Informed contacts at Air Zimbabwe said the airline is leasing the aircraft from China-Sonangol, which supplied the airline's first Airbus aircraft in January and which is being kept at the airline's national headquarters at Harare International Airport.

The delivery of the commercial passenger jet will bring to 10 the number of aircraft owned by Air Zimbabwe, although four of them are currently grounded undergoing maintenance checks while the other Chinese made Modern Ark 60 damaged its belly when it hit warthogs on a tarmac.

Air Zimbabwe's woes worsened in January when the airline suspended domestic, regional and international flights over lack of funds to run operations and to avoid the seizure of its aircraft from creditors who had obtained impounding orders from courts.