09.05.2023 - 13:19 UTC
Air Zimbabwe (UM, Harare International) new acting Chief Executive Officer Edmund Makona plans to convert one of the airline's two stored B767-200(ER)s into a freighter and put it back into service in the next two months, reports The Zimbabwe Independent newspaper.
Makona was re-appointed last month for a period of six months while a permanent CEO is sought. He replaced Tafadzwa Zaza, who was acting CEO for the past 16 months. Makona has been vice-chairman of Air Zimbabwe since December 2022. He had a previous stint as CEO of Air Zimbabwe between April 2013 to September 2016 after having been with the airline for 31 years.
His immediate task is to facilitate Air Zimbabwe's recovery by implementing a six-year strategic turnaround plan, including procuring and deploying appropriate equipment for the current and planned route network and streamlining the fleet to reduce maintenance and operational costs.
In an interview with The Zimbabwe Independent, he disclosed plans to convert one of the two stored B767-200ERs into a freighter aligned with a strategy to identify opportunities...
19.10.2022 - 10:22 UTC
Zimbabwe is looking to establish direct flights with Russia in line with longstanding close ties between the two countries, says National Assembly Speaker Jacob Mudenda.
During an interview with RIA Novosti on a recent visit to Moscow, Mudenda said: "We are working on it. We would welcome if a Russian airline operated flights to Zimbabwe, and when we have the appropriate aviation equipment, we would also like to plan return flights.
"But all this requires careful study at the bilateral level by the Ministries of Tourism and, of course, by the Ministers of Transport, who are responsible for the functioning of the aviation industry. We are determined to ensure that work in this direction is carried out, that it be accelerated so that airlines begin substantive interaction," he said.
Mudenda re-confirmed Zimbabwe's continued support for its longstanding ally, despite Vladimir Putin's ongoing war on Ukraine and Russia's annexation of the Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk, and Zaporizhzhia regions of Ukraine. This followed referenda in the partially occupied provinces, which Ukraine and its Western allies have denounced as illegal...
23.09.2022 - 04:44 UTC
A Nepal Airlines (RA, Kathmandu) spokesperson has said selling five unwanted turboprops is the next best option if a bidding process to lease the planes out fails. Archana Khadka told The Kathmandu Post that per the Nepali Ministry of Finance's instructions, the state-owned airline is now trying to dry lease the planes out but "if there are no takers - we'll go for the second option."
As reported by ch-aviation earlier this week, Nepal Airlines has initiated a bidding process to lease out two MA-60s and three Y12s after sitting parked in a corner of Kathmandu Airport for over two years.
"We followed the Finance Ministry's instructions,” said Khadka. "Out of the two options recommended by the Finance Ministry dry lease or outright sale, Nepal Airlines will try the first one," However, given the state of the planes, some local airline insiders doubt the lease bidding process will attract much interest.
Saying it was the right decision to try to offload the aircraft, Ashok Pokhrel, a former board member of...
04.08.2022 - 09:05 UTC
Air Zimbabwe (UM, Harare International) has secured USD1.4 million to clear debts owed to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which it hopes will enhance its chances of rejoining the association to expand its international route network and tap into global partnerships, state-owned newspaper The Herald reported.
Air Zimbabwe was not immediately available for comment.
The national carrier is currently not a member of IATA due to a combination of factors, including unpaid fees and non-compliance with the IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) global safety programme.
Even though the airline’s website claims otherwise, Air Zimbabwe is not on the IOSA registry at present, having allowed its 2019 membership to lapse. The national carrier is also still banned from operating to the European Union (EU).
Neither is Air Zimbabwe part of the IATA Billing and Settlement Plan (BSP) that facilitates the reconciliation of airline ticket sales through IATA-registered travel agents.
The carrier has repeatedly expressed its keenness to rejoin both IATA programmes.
With its economy in a tailspin, Zimbabwe is one of...
