Zim carrier plans JHB' UK and China routes

A PRIVATELY owned
Zimbabwean carrier,
VicFalls Airways, has
been granted a license by the
Zimbabwe government to ply
international routes to South
Africa, the UK and China.
But the airline faces many
obstacles before it can take to
the skies.
Masiwa Table, president of
VicFalls Airways, told TNW this
was a historic moment for
Zimbabwe as no other local
airline had ever been granted
a license to apply for these
international routes before.
“Up until now, the government
has not wanted to allocate
these routes to private
airlines, especially the London
and Johannesburg routes,
which have always been cash
cows for Air Zimbabwe.”
Masiwa says the plan is to
establish a hub in Harare,
from where the airline will
operate four flights a week to
Johannesburg, three a week
to London Gatwick and two
flights to Guangzhou in China.
The airline is in talks with
both EgyptAir and Interair
for the lease of aircraft.
Masiwa says the airline will
lease B777-200ER and
B737-800 aircraft and pilots
from EgyptAir, but it will
appoint its own cabin staff in
Zimbabwe.
Masiwa hopes to launch
VicFalls Airways’ maiden
flight at the end of November
this year.
However, the Department
of Transport in South Africa
told TNW it had yet to receive
an application for flights from
VicFalls Airways. Masiwa also
admits the airline still needs
to obtain its Air Operator’s
Certificate (AOC),
Most importantly, the airline
is still looking for investors.
“We are looking at $60m to
$100m to be on the safe
side,” said Masiwa.
This is not the first
time VicFalls Airways has
announced its intention to
launch flights. The airline,
which was first registered in
Zimbabwe under the name
Tab Mark Enterprises in
2008, delayed its launch
as a result of “the world
economic downturn and the
general high costs of fuel”. In
2009, VicFalls Airways again
announced it would take to
the skies. However, the airline
did not manage to secure the
US$29m working capital that
was required to launch.
In 2010, VicFalls Airways
announced it had secured a
license from the Zimbabwean
Ministry of Transport to
commence operations to
Dubai, India, South Africa,
the DRC, Malawi, Zambia,
Botswana and Mozambique.
The airline did not take off,
after repeated attempts to
secure adequate funding
failed.
Masiwa is a Zimbabwean
businessman who has
experience in journalism,
working for the Zimbabwe
Broadcasting Corporation as a
television producer. In 2008,
he obtained his private pilot
license. He has been the
md of Tabmark Enterprises
trading as VicFalls Airways
from 2007.