Zimbabwe is ready to welcome two airlines Eswatini Air and Zambia Airways after the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) granted them Foreign Operator Permits (FOP). The FOPs will allow the airlines to commence passenger and cargo operations to and from Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
Zambia Airways currently flies to South Africa, while Eswatini Air plans to start operations this year with flights to South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Elijah Chingosho, Director, CAAZ said: “"We are excited about the positive prospects for 2023 in line with the national Vision 2030 and guided by the National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) as we implement the government-initiated Open Skies Policy, positioning our economy for more trade, investment, and tourism."
As per the CAAZ records, Zimbabwe aviation industry is very close to a full post-pandemic recovery and the country is set to welcome new airlines and expand its network with the open skies policy. Airlines like Eswatini Air and Air Zambia will help in boosting the trade and tourism within Southern Africa.
Lately, more airlines are opening their routes to Zimbabwe like Emirates, Qatar and Ethiopian. Ethiopian Airlines previously operated flights from Ethiopia to Zimbabwe via Zambia, but from March 26, the airline will fly directly from Addis Ababa Bole International Airport to Harare. The arrival of more airlines is a clear step in the right direction for the aviation market in general.
Going ahead, the government of Zimbabwe is expanding the RGM International Airport with an investment of $153 million to welcome more international airlines. So far, about 85% expansion work is completed and the full work is expected to be done by June 2023. After completion, the airport is expected to increase its handling capacity from 2.5 million to over 6 million passengers annually.