Air Zimbabwe, the flag carrier of Zimbabwe, has a rich history and has faced numerous challenges in recent years. This article delves into the airline's origins, operational history, financial difficulties, and ongoing efforts to revitalize its services.
The entity that eventually became Air Zimbabwe formally came into being on 1 September 1967, when the Government of Rhodesia created 'Air Rhodesia Corporation' to succeed Air Rhodesia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Central African Airways Corporation (CAAC) that had existed since 1964 as a domestic airline within Rhodesia. Following the dissolution of CAAC at the end of 1967, Air Rhodesia inherited CAAC operations, as well as a fleet of Boeing, DC-3 and Viscount aircraft. It became the short-lived 'Air Zimbabwe Rhodesia' in 1978, and finally 'Air Zimbabwe' in April 1980 when the Republic of Zimbabwe was formed.
Air Rhodesia Vickers Viscount 700 at Salisbury in 1978
Early Operations and Expansion
Services connecting Harare with South Africa (Durban and Johannesburg) had been operated before the country gained its independence. Scheduled services began on 2 April 1980 to London Gatwick. The company had leased a Boeing 707 from South African Airways until May 1981, when three Boeing 707-320Bs were bought from Lufthansa. During 1982, a service to Perth and Sydney commenced; it was run in cooperation with Qantas and flown with Qantas Boeing 747SP aircraft. In May that year, the Government directed Air Zimbabwe and the national freighter airline Affretair to merge their operations; the freighter company was eventually taken over by Air Zimbabwe in July 1983. The cargo carrier continued its operations under the Affretair brand.
Fleet and Route Development in the 1980s
By March 1985, Air Zimbabwe had 1,443 employees and the fleet comprised five Boeing 707-320Bs and seven Viscount 700s. At this time, the airline flew domestic services linking Harare with Buffalo Range, Bulawayo, Gweru, Hwange National Park, Kariba, Masvingo and Victoria Falls, regional services to Blantyre, Durban, Gaborone, Johannesburg, Lusaka and Nairobi, and intercontinental flights to Athens, Frankfurt and London; the Harare-Perth-Sydney route offered using Qantas Boeing 747SP aircraft was flown in association with Air Zimbabwe.
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A Boeing 737-200 that had been leased from Maersk was returned to the lessor in 1986 and the first of three owned Boeing 737-200s was phased in and put into service in December that year; the second and third aircraft of the type were delivered in June and July 1987. The additional capacity permitted route extensions to Dar es Salaam, Manzini, Maputo and Mauritius. A BAe 146-200 was bought in 1987 for domestic routes.
Also in 1987, the airline announced its intentions to acquire Ilyushin Il-62s and -86s and Yakovlev Yak-42s instead of Western-built aircraft. These plans never materialised and Air Zimbabwe placed an order for two Boeing 767-200s. With registration Z-WPE and named "Victoria Falls", the first Boeing 767-200ER entered the fleet in November 1989. The Boeing 707 was retired from serving long-haul routes shortly afterwards; these aircraft were still used to cover regional routes. The Viscount was definitely withdrawn from service in November 1989. The airline phased in the second 767-200ER (Z-WPF, named "Chimanimani") in late 1990.
Challenges and Suspensions
Following financial difficulties, Air Zimbabwe ceased operations in late February 2012. Serving a reduced domestic network, the carrier resumed operations for a short period between May and early July 2012, when flights were again discontinued. Some flights were restarted on a discontinuous basis in November that year.
Financial Troubles and Suspensions
Air Zimbabwe has been loss-making for many years, with irregular services. Although the airline is government owned, full annual reports are not published. Various performance figures have been publicly professed, but are subject to change and may therefore not be accurate (for example, the number of employees have allegedly remained fixed in recent years). Recent financial figures (2014 to 2018) are from the 'Reconstruction Report' by the airline administrator Grant Thornton, as reported by the Zimbabwe Independent.
As part of its recovery strategy, the airline in April 2020 has launched a comprehensive revival plan. In October 2016, Simba Chikore was appointed to be the Chief Operating Officer (COO), amid much controversy and accusations of nepotism as he is also the son-in-law to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe. Captain Ripton Muzenda was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in late August 2016. Chipo Dyanda is the airline's chairwoman, as of July 2017.
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Fleet Overview
The initial fleet of five Boeing 707s sourced from Lufthansa replaced the Boeing 720 aircraft used by Air Rhodesia. These 707s joined the Vickers Viscount fleet, that was strengthened by the addition of two Viscounts 810s from Dan Air. The airline saw the incorporation of the Boeing 737-200 into the fleet in 1985. Long-haul operations that were once operated with the 707s were gradually shifted to the newly acquired Boeing 767-200ER aircraft; the first of them entered the fleet in late 1989. A British Aerospace BAe 146 was added to the fleet from the Zimbabwean Air force in the 1980s.
Here's a summary of key fleet developments:
| Aircraft Type | Year Introduced | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Boeing 707 | Early Years | Replaced Boeing 720s, used for long-haul routes initially. |
| Vickers Viscount | Early Years | Strengthened by additions from Dan Air. |
| Boeing 737-200 | 1985 | Expanded route capacity. |
| Boeing 767-200ER | 1989 | Replaced 707s on long-haul routes. |
| BAe 146 | 1980s | Added from Zimbabwean Air Force for domestic routes. |
O. R. Belly of an Air Zimbabwe Boeing 767-200ER.
Safety Record
According to the Aviation Safety Network, the company has not had a fatal accident since Air Rhodesia was renamed Air Zimbabwe in 1980.
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