Zimbabwe flyafrica plans to buy B737NGs for 3Q17 relaunch

flyafrica B737-500
Zimbabwe flyafrica (Z7, Harare Int'l) has acquired two B737-700s in anticipation of relaunching commercial flight operations during the next quarter, the Zimbabwean budget carrier's executive chairman Cassidy Mugwagwa has claimed.

Speaking to The Daily News, Mugwagwa said the two aircraft were currently undergoing pre-delivery maintenance checks with Lufthansa Technik in Germany ahead of their delivery to Harare Int'l.

Having resecured its Air Services Permit (ASP) from the Zimbabwean Ministry of Transport as well as an Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), Mugwagwa said flights would start in August.

“We are renewing the old routes, when we start to fly we are going to be doing domestic flights in what is called the Zimbabwe Triangle, that is Harare — Victoria Falls — Bulawayo and back the same way daily for a month or so, while our technical people get back into the business of things," he said. “A month later, we will then start with the regional flights to Johannesburg O.R. Tambo and then looking onwards to Gaborone and Lusaka."

He added that so far, the carrier's new owner, Mugwagwa Resources, has invested USD6.6 million into its operations. Offices at Harare International Airport have also been established in anticipation of the relaunch.

The first iteration of Zimbabwe flyafrica ended in late 2015 when its AOC was suspended following a falling out between the airline's then local shareholder and Accountable Manager Chakanyuka Karase, and Mauritius-based Flyafrica Ltd over financial irregularities.

The two subsequently went to court resulting in Flyafrica securing a court injunction against Karase's continued involvement in the airline. The debacle had a knock-on effect with sister carrier Namibia flyafrica (N6, Windhoek Int'l) also suspending operations owing to its use of aircraft wet-leased from the Zimbabwean parent.

At present, the Zimbabwean market is home to state-owned carrier Air Zimbabwe (UM, Harare Int'l), Fastjet Zimbabwe (FN, Harare Int'l), and Rainbow Airlines (RAT, Harare Int'l). Rainbow Airlines' operational status is currently unknown given its ticket sales portal has been inactive for some time.

Source: https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/56292-zimbabwe-flyafrica-says-buy-b737ngs-for-3q17-relaunch

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