eBusiness Weekly
Oliver Kazunga in Victoria Falls
AIR Zimbabwe’s operational efficiency continues to be bogged down by the national airline’s absence to the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
IATA is a global aviation body that works with airlines and their air transport industry to foster safe, reliable, secure and economical travel.
The airline’s membership to IATA was cancelled some years back owing to debt from funds held under blocked funds that could not be repatriated from activities such as ticket sales and cargo space.
In an interview at the CEO Africa Annual Roundtable underway here yesterday, Air Zimbabwe acting chief executive officer, Tafadzwa Zaza said: “The absence of being a member of the IATA clearing house is affecting us in a way that right now the business that we are doing not many airlines want to partner with Air Zimbabwe. There is no interlining business that we are doing and we are treated as a cash-based customer or airline even when we want to purchase the spares for the airline.”
On the contrary, Zaza said when affiliated to IATA clearing house, the airline gets credits that are settled through the international air transport body and people will be ready and comfortable to do business with the registered member.
Asked to ascertain the amount of revenue that Air Zimbabwe was losing on annual basis as a result of not being an affiliate of IATA, Zaza said:
“We are losing a lot of revenue, but I cannot give the figure right now, but what it means is like right now we have got limitations in terms of the routes that we are operating.
“In terms of the numbers that we are carrying, we are supposed to be filling the aircrafts through the interlines and alliances, but even our route network which is thin, we cannot because of the equipment.”
He said once they have additional equipment Air Zimbabwe can increase its frequencies as well as opening new routes.
“But now we are restricted because we don’t have enough equipment,” said Zaza.
The national airline, which has since been removed from administration, was in 2018 placed by the Government under a two-year reconstruction programme to facilitate its turnaround.
Meanwhile, IATA is on record acknowledging that Zimbabwe was making progress on reducing the estimated US$140 million debt that is owed under blocked funds that could not be repatriated from ticket sales, cargo space and other regulated activities.
So far, the country has cleared 90 percent of the IATA arrears.
