Air Zimbabwe’s Ambitious Plans to Resume UK Flights Seem Unlikely Amid Deepening Crisis
Harare, Zimbabwe — Air Zimbabwe has announced plans to re-establish flights between Harare and London, but a closer look at the airline’s current situation raises significant doubts about the feasibility of such ambitions.
The national carrier faces numerous challenges, including mounting debts, an ageing fleet, government interference, and poor management. These problems have left Air Zimbabwe a shadow of its former self, struggling to maintain even its domestic routes during what should be a busy festive season.
Once a prominent player in the regional aviation market, Air Zimbabwe’s decline has been stark. At independence in 1980, the airline inherited a fleet of 18 aircraft. Now, it is operating just one plane, with several others grounded due to regulatory issues. This dramatic fall in capacity and service has prevented the airline from dominating even its domestic routes, with foreign carriers such as South Africa’s Airlink, Kenya Airways, and RwandAir now capturing significant market share.
Air Zimbabwe has not been able to reopen many of its regional and international routes, primarily due to a lack of serviceable long-haul aircraft and the absence of necessary international aviation licenses. The airline has acquired an Embraer ERJ145 regional jet and two Boeing 777-200ER long-haul jets in recent years, bringing its fleet to five aircraft, including a Boeing 767 and a Boeing 737. However, these assets have not been fully utilized to revive the airline’s fortunes.
Moreover, recent findings by the acting Auditor-General, Rheah Kujinga, have exposed severe financial mismanagement and operational shortcomings at the airline. Kujinga’s report for the year ending December 31, 2022, revealed that Air Zimbabwe failed to account for planes valued at over USD 30 million. There are also significant discrepancies in the company’s financial records, with variances amounting to USD 92 million in opening balances as of the beginning of 2019. The report further highlighted concerns about the existence, completeness, and valuation of the airline’s inventory, which was recorded at nearly USD 19 million without a proper inventory count.
The airline’s organizational structure is another significant area of concern. Many senior positions, including those of the chief executive officer, company secretary, and various departmental managers, have been held in an acting capacity, affecting decision-making and strategic planning. The lack of substantive officials in critical roles, coupled with under-staffing issues resulting from past retrenchment exercises, further undermines Air Zimbabwe’s ability to operate effectively.
Historically, Air Zimbabwe has also been plagued by corruption scandals. In 2015, former Chief Executive Peter Chikumba and Company Secretary Grace Pfumbidzayi were convicted for violating procurement rules by awarding a USD 10 million insurance contract without proper tendering. This, along with other revelations by former Auditor-General Mildred Chiri in 2019 regarding unaccounted aircraft, continues to haunt the airline’s reputation.
Given these numerous and complex challenges, Air Zimbabwe’s plan to resume flights to London appears overly ambitious. The airline lacks the required long-haul aircraft in good condition, financial stability, and international aviation licenses necessary for such operations. Additionally, without a clear strategy to address its management and operational deficiencies, any attempt to re-enter the competitive international market could face significant obstacles.
While Air Zimbabwe may have the potential for growth, as noted by Honourable Knowledge Kaitano, Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Infrastructural Development, realizing this potential would require substantial investment, new partnerships, and a thorough overhaul of its governance and operational structures. Until these issues are addressed, the prospect of the airline successfully flying to the UK—or any other major international destination—remains uncertain at best.