Page 21 - Meetings Zimbabwe 2nd Edition

“Meanwhile, we expect an increase in regional capacity in the short term from existing airlines taking advantage of the longer runway.”
The US$150million expansion at Victoria Falls will include conversion of the existing facility to a domestic terminal and grow capacity from its current 500,000 limit– with completion scheduled for summer 2015.
In addition, CAAZ has indicated that plans are in hand to expand Harare International Airport in anticipation of increased demand, with a target of up to 40 airlines servicing the hub by 2018 – the scheme would adhere to the airport’s original blueprint for additional facilities at the international terminal building and the upgrading of the domestic terminal as well as associated new runway infrastructure.
The news of this scope to boost access to Zimbabwe has countered the cancellation of KLM’s Amsterdam-Harare-Lusaka route – the country’s only direct European connection - which ceased operation in October.
And, while Emirates remains coy about its intentions to offer non-stop Zimbabwe flights, president Sir Tim Clark has added to speculation following a statement last October in which he said that the Dubai-based airline planned to increase operations to Africa as a whole by 40 per cent in the coming decade.
With the easing of sanctions by the EU, both business and leisure traffic is on the rise, and a host of airlines are now eyeing the country, particularly given the limited network of national carrier, Air Zimbabwe.
Officials there have committed to international services to the UK, China and India, as well as new short-haul aircraft for domestic and regional routes, but progress has been slow in restoring the carrier to its previous frequencies.
Local connections
Seeking to fill the gap, there has been a flurry of activity in the aviation sector in Zimbabwe including the entry of budget and regional airlines and potentially more international links to increase access from overseas markets.
Africa’s new low-cost airline, flyafrica, started services with a flight from Victoria Falls to Johannesburg last July and expanded with Harare-Johannesburg operations in November (as well as three-weekly Harare-Victoria Falls sectors), with Bulawayo expected to come online this March.
Another low-cost carrier, fastjet, launched flights from Dar es Salaam to Harare last June, upping frequency from two - to three- times weekly within three weeks, due to exceptional demand.
Domestically, airlines on the runway include Just Fly, which has applied to begin services from Harare to Beitbridge and Chiriedzi, Mjair Airlines which has aspirations to fly domestic and international routes, plus Vic Falls Airways.
The latter has gained an Air Operator’s Certificate and a B767 aircraft, with plans for flights to London Gatwick, Guangzhou and Johannesburg ... and Dubai, India and regional African destinations among long-term ambitions.
Meetings Zimbabwe 2015 21
With effect from November 2014, passengers on Air Zimbabwe flights must pay airport and passenger taxes at their airport of departure – these fees are no longer included in the ticket price. Payment can be made in US$, Rand, Euro, Pula or Pound equivalent, and cost is US$50 for international flights and $15 for domestic services.