Zimbabwe faces aviation skills drain

Zimbabwe's aviation industry is facing a deepening shortage of pilots and air traffic controllers as skilled professionals continue leaving for better-paying, tax-free opportunities in the Middle East and Europe, raising concerns over the sector's long-term growth and competitiveness.

Industry leaders say the country is increasingly becoming a recruitment hub for international airlines seeking experienced aviation personnel, and have urged the government to introduce tax incentives and policy reforms to stem the exodus.

Speaking at the Zimbabwe Aviation Development Forum last week, Fastjet Zimbabwe executive director Farayi Chikuni said Zimbabwe's aviation professionals were highly sought after globally because of the quality of their training and experience.

"We have a general shortage of pilots and air traffic controllers within the country. The biggest challenge is that our pilots can go to the Middle East where they earn more and are not taxed," Chikuni said.

"If there were mechanisms or policies to reduce the tax burden on pilots, we would be in a much better position to retain experienced professionals. Every time a new airline expands into Europe or the Middle East, they come to Zimbabwe to recruit. While that demonstrates the quality of our human capital, it also highlights the urgent need to retain these skills."

Chikuni also called for Zimbabwe to review its aviation taxes and levies, arguing that the country's cost structure has become uncompetitive compared to regional peers.

"We need to benchmark ourselves against the region. The levies that were introduced helped finance the development of our three international airports, and that objective has largely been achieved. The next step is to support industry growth through targeted investment and tax relief," he said.

"We are not advocating the removal of taxes, but rather a reduction that stimulates domestic and regional air travel. Increased traffic would generate broader economic benefits, including the development of airports such as Masvingo and Mutare, while enabling airlines to recapitalise their fleets with both larger and smaller aircraft capable of serving more destinations. That would make Zimbabwe a more competitive and accessible destination."

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Engineer Joy Makumbe, acknowledged the growing skills gap, noting that Zimbabwe had historically relied on government-supported pilot training through the Air Force of Zimbabwe.

She said graduates would complete mandatory bonding periods before transitioning into the civil aviation sector, but training had become increasingly expensive and commercialised worldwide.

"Training of pilots in Zimbabwe was highly subsidised by Government, through the recruitment into aviation training programmes by the Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ).

"Graduates from the AFZ would then transition into civil aviation after completion of prescribed bonding periods. Over the years, due to evolving training needs and expensive equipment, training of pilots and other aviation experts has been highly commercialised the world over," she said.

Makumbe said the Aviation Training Academy of Zimbabwe (ATAZ) was expanding its capacity after being accredited by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as a TrainAir Plus Bronze Member in February 2025.

"The ATAZ is growing in leaps and bounds and was accredited and recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) as a TrainAirPlus Bronze Member in February 2025.

"The Ministry and CAAZ continue to work together to capacitate ATAZ as the sole provider of aviation training to ameliorate the critical skills gap in the aviation sector. With these efforts, our medium- to long-term projections place Zimbabwe in a position where aviation training and human capital development will grow exponentially by 2030," she said.

Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) chief executive Aaron Munetsi also raised concerns about Zimbabwe's aviation operating environment, saying taxes remain significantly above regional norms.

"When you compare dollar-for-dollar using International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) benchmarks, Zimbabwe's aviation taxes are considerably higher. Our last assessment showed they were almost 11% above the benchmark," Munetsi said.

He said airlines also face operational challenges, including delays in importing aircraft spare parts, difficulties in bringing specialised maintenance technicians into the country and ongoing obstacles in repatriating revenues.

"The availability of spare parts is a major issue. If an airline has an aircraft on ground (AOG) in Zimbabwe, obtaining replacement parts and bringing in technicians to carry out repairs can be difficult because of import procedures and labour-related issues," he said.

Munetsi added that these constraints reduce Zimbabwe's attractiveness as a destination for international airlines.

"The ease of doing business ultimately determines the attractiveness of a destination. Airlines tell us that, beyond the visible taxes, there is also what they describe as a ‘silent tax'—the challenge of repatriating funds. For some operators, that becomes the deciding factor. Several airlines have indicated they will not commence operations until that issue is resolved."

He warned that while airlines delay expansion plans, Zimbabwe misses out on the wider economic benefits generated by aviation through tourism, trade and investment.

Despite the challenges, Munetsi said Zimbabwe's strategic location continues to generate strong interest from international carriers.

"Globally, there is considerable goodwill towards Zimbabwe because of its location. Airlines, particularly from the Asia-Pacific region, are keen to establish commercial partnerships and codeshare agreements. We should seize that opportunity rather than allow policy and operational barriers to stand in the way," he said.