► ZIMBABWE: 1Time to start Joburg to Harare and Vic Falls?

The aviation rumour-mill here in Zimbabwe is awash with word that South African LCC 1Time (T6) has just completed a trial Johannesburg - Harare, Zimbabwe flight and will shortly commence service, though no official confirmation has yet been given by either 1Time or the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ).

1Time's Route Network.

In the recent past, Kulula, 1Time and the now-defunct LCC VelvetSky had battled to no avail, enormous red tape and CAAZ protective measures to acquire rights to service the very lucrative routes of Johannesburg - Harare, and Johannesburg - Victoria Falls where the average price for a return ticket from Harare to Joburg can cost anywhere from USD$440 to USD$600 using either South African Airways or BA Comair.

Until now these routes have been dominated by South African Airways, BA Comair and even Air Zimbabwe though with Air Zimbabwe facing possible liquidation, it seems likely that the Zimbabwean authorities would want to free up the route seeing as the only competitors on it, are now exclusively South African.
 

As mentioned above, 1Time is also looking at starting a service to Victoria Falls which, in theory, it does already serve, albeit on the Zambian side of the Falls - Livingstone.

Watch This Space.

► ZIMBABWE: Emirates to split Lusaka & Harare; introduces 5x weekly direct cargo flights to Harare.

Dubai megacarrier Emirates (EK) is to split its current Dubai - Lusaka (Zambia) - Harare (Zimbabwe) route into two separate routes "in the near future" following very strong figures in both passenger and cargo volumes moved since the route's inauguration in February of this year.

► ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe to get second A320?

Unconfirmed reports from Zimbabwe claim that troubled Zimbabwean flag carrier, Air Zimbabwe (UM), will "soon" lease a second Airbus A320 from China Sonangol International, in an attempt to revive the ailing airline's flagging fortunes. 

Air Zimbabwe received its first Airbus A320 (F-WTBL) on 16 January 2012, leased from SouthJet Two Limited, though it is uncertain as to what role the aircraft has actually played in servicing the airline's routes.

Airbus A320 "F-WTBL" in Harare.

"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."

Read More Here [Radio VOP Zimbabwe]

Presently Air Zimbabwe is confined to flying domestic routes exclusively as the threat of repossession by unpaid creditors in the UK and South Africa is still very real. In April 2012, Robert Mugabe - the Zimbabwean President - was forced to return home from Malaysia aboard the leased Airbus, as opposed to Air Zimbabwe's Boeing 767s, as the latter was neither financially nor technically feasible.

It is therefore likely, that as part of its rejuvenation programme, Air Zimbabwe has chosen to use leased aircraft as opposed to buying them, as this theoretically will still allow Air Zimbabwe to operate foreign routes, albeit without the threat of repossession looming over their heads.

Airbus A320 "F-WTBL" in Harare.

It should be noted however, that in the past, Air Zimbabwe has laid some wild claims to aircraft acquisition, most notably:

• Air Zimbabwe to buy 3 x Ilyushin 96-300s (2008)
• Air Zimbabwe to buy 2 x A340-500

Both of which have turned out to be unfounded Big Talk.  

In a spin off effect, Zimbabwe's Civil Aviation Authority (CAAZ) has lamented the lost Passenger Tax revenues it has suffered as a consequence of Air Zimbabwe's demise.

Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe Board Chairperson, Advocate Jacob Mudenda said although the exact figures on the actual amount lost have not been put together the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Infrastructural Development is looking into the issue and restructured Air Zimbabwe in an effort to bring efficiency that would see in improvement in revenue inflows for organisations that have been affected.

Read More Here [ZBC News]

► ZAMBIA: Zambezi Airlines recommences flights as of 17 June.

As of Sunday 17 June 2012, Zambian carrier Zambezi Airlines (ZJ) is set to return to the skies after a 7 month hiatus from service, following various safety issues raised by Zambia's Civil Aviation Authority, that have since been settled.

► ETHIOPIA: Ethiopian further delays 787 service to Harare & Lusaka.

With Ethiopian Airlines (ET) having to wait longer and longer for the delivery of its Boeing 787 Dreamliner, so too has it had to postpone its subsequent use on its introductory routes.

Previously, Ethiopian announced delays in the 787s introduction on its Addis Ababa - Johannesburg and Addis Ababa – Dubai, and this has now been followed by an announcement of delays on the Addis Ababa – Harare and Addis Ababa – Lusaka routes.

Originally planned for entry into service on 16 September 2012, so Zimbabwe and Zambia will now have to wait until 28 October 2012 before catching a glimpse of the Dreamliner. Until then, the present status quo will be maintained i.e Addis Ababa - Harare - Lusaka - Addis Ababa will be operated with a Boeing 767-300.

Ethiopian Airlines: Addis Ababa - Harare - Lusaka - Addis Ababa
Until 27 October 2012

• ET873 ADD0920 – 1245HRE1335 – 1435LUN1525 – 2025ADD 763 D

From 28 October 2012
Addis Ababa – Harare

• ET873 ADD0920 – 1245HRE 738 246
• ET873 ADD0920 – 1245HRE 787 x246
• ET872 HRE1440 – 1955ADD 738 246
• ET872 HRE1440 – 1955ADD 787 x246

Addis Ababa – Lusaka

• ET883 ADD0910 – 1215LUN 787 246
• ET883 ADD0910 – 1215LUN 738 x246
• ET882 LUN1500 – 2005ADD 787 246
• ET882 LUN1500 – 2005ADD 738 x246

 Read More Here [Airline Route] 

► TANZANIA: Precision Air further delays Harare & Lilongwe to August amid strong growth.

Tanzanian carrier Precision Air (PW) over the weekend announced that its planned new routes to Harare, Zimbabwe and Lilongwe, Malawi, would only begin "in August this year" instead of early July as originally planned as the airline intends to await the arrival of more aircraft prior to servicing the new routes.

► TANZANIA: Precision Air to restart Arusha from July; postpones Lubumbashi & Lusaka.

With renovations to the runway at Arusha's International Airport nearing completion, Tanzanian private carrier Precision Air (PW) has announced the resumption of daily flights to Arusha with effect from July 10. For the duration of the renovation works, passengers have had to use Kilimanjaro International Airport - 50 km away. 

► MOZAMBIQUE: LAM likely to restart Maputo - Harare from October 2012.

Linhas Aéreas de Moçambique, better known as LAM Mozambique Airlines (TM), is to tentatively re-establish twice weekly flights on Wednesday and Sunday to Harare from Maputo via Beira using its DHC-8-400, with effect from 27 October 2012, though the reports are unconfirmed as yet.

LAM Mozambique Q400 (Peter Tonna)

The airline last served Harare in the early 2000s, but then dropped the service due to the downturn in the Zimbabwean economy.

LAM Mozambique Airlines: Maputo, Mozambique - Beira, Mozambique - Harare, Zimbabwe
-Effective 27 October 2012

• TM342 MPM 0935 - 1110 BEW 1140 - 1230 HRE DH4 | 37
• TM343 HRE 1330 - 1420 BEW 1450 - 1625 MPM DH4 | 37

Source [Amadeus]

► ZIMBABWE: Sol Air reveals planned routes as Government discord continues.

Following on from our initial report, Zimbabwean private start up Sol Air (ZS) has now revealed its plans for upcoming routes it intends to serve using a fleet of Bombardier CRJ-900s.

Amongst the cities to be served from its base at Harare International Airport are: Bulawayo, Dar es Salaam, Johannesburg, Tete (Mozambique), Lusaka and Victoria Falls. It also plans to serve Johannesburg - Victoria Falls and Johannesburg - Bulawayo, two routes that are at present serviced exclusively by South African carriers.

A familiar sight at Harare - empty slots. (William Whaley)

No further news on how a resurrected Air Zimbabwe has been performing on domestic routes has been made available. 

Meanwhile, at a recent conference of the African Travel Association (ATA) held in Victoria Falls, Shingi Munyeza, chief executive officer of hotel and leisure group, African Sun Limited (ASL) told international delegates that there was nothing wrong with African governments regulating domestic air services in order to protect troubled national airlines.

"You need to let in (foreign) airlines but ensure you don't destroy the local airline," Munyeza told the ATA congress. "

African governments have been burnt before where they have opened the skies," said Munyeza.

Once again, this adds to the notion of total discord between official Zimbabwean Government policy and private industry with regards to the serious development of local aviation, as just recently, Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Walter Mzembi stated:

"We are over-protecting Air Zimbabwe. We all know that government is a signatory to a declaration that promotes an open sky policy. What I wonder is why we have not been able to motivate any new airlines into our airspace?"

Read More Here [The Financial Gazette, Zimbabwe]

Politicking aside, the answer, however, is simple.

As long as Zimbabwe's government is willing to live with the prospect of subsidizing an inefficient millstone of the Air Zimbabwe sort whilst strangling any potential private carriers under the guise of the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), then it will only have itself to blame when it finds its tourism and aviation infrastructure both undeveloped and underexploited, because after all, tourism thrives on reputation, and what good to a country is an airline reputed only for late arrivals and shoddy service?

► ZAMBIA: Zambezi Airlines to resume flights next month.

Following numerous court cases and the repossession of its aircraft by lessor GECAS, Lusaka-based, Zambian airline Zambezi Airlines (ZJ), is scheduled to restart services from next month.

► ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe to return to the skies, but only domestically.

It never rains but it pours for ailing Zimbabwean national carrier, Air Zimbabwe (UM). One week, there are reports of its imminent demise and cessation of operations, the next, it pulls a Lazarus and is magically resurrected.

Once again the soap opera that is UM takes another twist with an announcement in the state media to the effect that Air Zimbabwe will restart flights, albeit only be 3x weekly domestically between Harare and Bulawayo, with no mention of equipment in use.

"Zimbabwe Tourism Authority chief executive officer Karikoga Kaseke told the media that the flights would be on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

“From the 2nd of next month (May) Air Zim will be resuming flights between Harare and Bulawayo,” he said.
 

“If it happens with consistence(sic) it is better than nothing although it is not enough. We need two flights daily.” Kaseke said the tourism sector was the worst affected by the demise of Air Zim."

Read More Here [New Ziana]

This news comes in the wake of an announcement today by local start-up "Sol Air" that it is planning to commence operations in the near future using a leased Bombadier CRJ 900 aircraft.

► ZIMBABWE: Startup "Sol Air" gets IATA code; plans to lease CRJ 900.

With the slow demise of Air Zimbabwe, a vast gap has been left in the Zimbabwean domestic market. Aside from South Africa's Solenta Aviation, and a few charter companies flying between Harare and the main tourist/safari areas (Bumi Hills, Hwange Park, Kariba and Victoria Falls) there has not been a regular large-scale service between Zimbabwe's two main cities - Harare and Bulawayo - for quite some time.

However, it was announced  recently by Managing Director, Nkosilathi Sibanda, that local start up "Sol Air" has obtained an IATA code (ZS) in addition to an operating licence from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), awarded in February of this year. 

According to it's licence mandate, Sol Air has been designated the Bulawayo-Francistown-Gaborone, Harare-Bulawayo, Bulawayo-Victoria Falls and the Harare-Masvingo-Buffalo Range routes, which Sibanda said, would likely be serviced with a leased Bombardier CRJ 900.

Claiming international financial backing to the tune of  USD$3.5 million, Mr Sibanda was also quoted as saying the airline was "in talks with two companies in Dubai and South Africa to lease us three 70-seater aircrafts and the talks will be concluded with a month" (sic).

The question many people want to know is the answer to though, is will this airline survive where so many others have failed? In a market renowned for much talk and little substance, the Zimbabwean domestic airline scene is littered with the corpses of failed airlines like Zimbabwean Express Airlines, flyKumba, Vic-Falls Airways, Expedition Airways, Zambezi Airways and Mid Airlines, all of whom were unable to break the Air Zimbabwe monopoly.

► ZAMBIA: Proflight Zambia to start Harare & Lubumbashi from June 2012.

Proflight Zambia (P0), until recently, an exclusively domestic Zambian carrier, has announced plans to start Lusaka - Harare and Lusaka - Lubumbashi "sometime in June", in its first foray into the regional market that has since been left vacant by the demise of Air Zimbabwe and Zambezi Airlines, though the absolute confirmation is still dependent on completion of bureaucratic formalities.

► TANZANIA: Precision Air adds Lilongwe and Lubumbashi from May 2012; Harare and Lusaka from July 2012.

Tanzania's Precision Air (PW) will with effect from May 2012 expand its route network to include 4 new sub-Saharan destinations - Harare, Lusaka, Lilongwe and Lubumbashi using its B733. UPDATE: Dar es Salaam - Lubumbashi - Lusaka will commence on 18 May 2012, whilst Dar es Salaam -Lilongwe - Harare will commence on 3 July 2012.

► ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe provides ZITF flights.

Despite news reports that Air Zimbabwe had effectively been grounded, the airline today issued a statement that it would be providing flights between Harare and Bulawayo for the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair.

Given UM's poor track record with respect to late cancellations, delayed departures and general sloppy customer care, i would honestly be surprised if anyone actually took up this offer.

"Air Zimbabwe says it will provide flights between Harare and Bulawayo to facilitate travel during the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF) this week.

The national airliner said on Wednesday a plane will depart Harare at 0700 and arrive in Bulawayo at 0745.

In the evening it will depart Bulawayo at 1800 and arrive in Harare at 1845."

...

Read More Here [ZBC News].