Zimbabwe Airways
| |||||||
| Founded | January 1, 2018 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ceased operations | 2018[1] | ||||||
| Hubs | |||||||
| Fleet size | 5 | ||||||
| Parent company | Zimbabwe Airways (Private) Limited | ||||||
| Headquarters | Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, Harare, Zimbabwe | ||||||
| Website | www.flyzimbabweairways.com | ||||||
Zimbabwe Airways (Private) Limited (operating as Zimbabwe Airways) (IATA: 8Z, ICAO: ZIB), was a government-owned airline in Zimbabwe.[2][3]
In 2018, the government dropped the plan to launch this airline.[4]
Overview
The national carrier, Air Zimbabwe, applied to the State Procurement Board (SPB) in October 2016 for permission to acquire four Boeing 777-200ER aircraft formerly flown by Malaysia Airlines. Permission was duly granted in November of the same.[5]
Negotiations were carried out in secret, so as not to jeopardize the sensitive deal. Eventually the State put together enough money to pay for two of the B777s and one Embraer E-Jet. However, by the time the planes arrived in the country, Air Zimbabwe had deteriorated to such an extent, that it could not present a "credible business plan to run the planes on a sustainable, profitable basis". The government registered Zimbabwe Airways, which developed a credible business plan. The government created "Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company", which owns the planes and leases them to Zimbabwe Airways.[5][6] As of April 2018, Zimbabwe Airways is yet to receive an Air operator's certificate (AOC), from the Zimbabwe Civil Aviation Authority.[5]
Ownership and management
According to Patrick Chinamasa, the Zimbabwean Finance Minister, Zimbabwe Airlines is 100 percent owned by the government of Zimbabwe and was created to facilitate the national aviation industry and to relieve the cash-strapped and financially ailing national carrier, Air Zimbabwe, with over US$300 million in debts.[7]
Destinations
The destinations of the airline are being finalized, but are expected to include London, Johannesburg, Beijing and large metropolitan and tourist cities inside Zimbabwe.[7]
Fleet
As of April 2018, the Zimbabwe Airways fleet consisted of the following aircraft:[2][3]
| Aircraft | In Fleet | Orders | Passengers | Notes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | C | Y | Total | ||||
| Boeing 777-200ER | 1 | 1 | 16 | 58 | 227 | 301 | stored |
| Embraer ERJ-145 | — | 3 | — | 12 | 64 | 76 | |
| Total | 1 | 4 | |||||
See also
References
- ^ "not launched" ch-aviation.com
- ^ a b "Zimbabwe government buys Boeing planes, leases them to new airline". The EastAfrican. Nairobi. Reuters. 12 April 2018. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ a b Muzulu, Paidamoyo (26 June 2017). "Air Zimbabwe rebrands, acquires 4 Boeing 777-200 planes". Newsday. Harare. Retrieved 10 April 2018.
- ^ "Harare drops Zimbabwe Airways in favour of Air Zimbabwe". busnews.com. 12 March 2018. Retrieved 17 September 2020.
- ^ a b c Ch-Aviation (12 April 2018). "Zimbabwe Airways Adds Maiden Aircraft, a B777". Ch-Aviation. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ Staff Reporter (12 April 2018). "Spotlight on Zimbabwe Airways". Bulawayo: Bulaayo24.com. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
- ^ a b Nemukuyu, Daniel (12 April 2018). "Minister Explains Zimbabwe Airways Ownership". The Chronicle (Zimbabwe). Bulawayo. Retrieved 12 April 2018.
