Published: 15 March 2018

THE Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development says it is in the process of opening the country's air space to allow more airlines to service domestic routes.

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Transport, George Mlilo, said the move was due to renewed interest in Zimbabwe by foreign airlines.

Mlilo could not reveal the airlines that had expressed intentions to fly domestic routes in the country.

"We are opening our air space for other players so that service will be competitive. We are working on it and it is a process," he said.

When asked to give a timeframe Mlilo said: "I cannot comment further, but you have to appreciate that it is a process and work in progress. It is a process," Mlilo told delegates at the Zimbabwe Investment Conference last week.

The investment conference, organised by Oxlink Capital, brought global investors in various economic spheres to share experiences and insights on how Zimbabwe could leverage on global networks to shore up investment.

New players are expected to increase competition and competitiveness which could result in most airlines reducing their fares and improving their services.

Mlilo said Air Zimbabwe was ready to compete with other airlines "when the time comes".

Air Zimbabwe has been feeling the heat from competition, including from low cost operators whose pricing model has resonated well with customers.

Passengers are migrating to low cost airlines with modern aircraft as more budget carriers give Air Zimbabwe, which had enjoyed monopoly on the domestic routes, a run for its money.

Budget airlines operating Zimbabwe's domestic routes are fastjet and flyafrica.com.

Last year six airlines applied for service permits to operate on the local and regional international routes.

The introduction of new airlines also comes in the wake of renewed interest by international airlines to service the country following the opening of a new multi-million dollar terminal in Victoria Falls.

Last year, Kenya Airways, RwandAir and SA Airlink started flights into the country's resort town, helping boost tourist traffic into Zimbabwe.

Other airlines that currently operate in the country include British Airways, Qantas Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways, Kenya Airways, British Airways' ComAir, Emirates, Taag Angolan, Namibian Airways and Malawian Airways, among others.


- Fin Gaz