By Shongedzai Mugwagwa
The newly purchased Air Zimbabwe plane, an Embraer ERJ-145 is set to have its inaugural flight on 12 May 2019, the Harare Post can exclusively report.
Air Zimbabwe has purchased its new bird in an effort to revive the national airline which has only one plane servicing both domestic and regional routes.
The development was announced during a post cabinet brief held at the Munhumutapa Office by the Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Honourable Joel Biggie Matiza.
Air Zimbabwe trained eight pilots in South Africa for the E145 rating.
Minister Matiza told the auditorium that the new plane is set to have its inaugural flight on 12 May and is set to be graced by President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
“We are pleased to report that we took delivery of the new Embraer plane today and it is set to have its inaugural flight in the coming week. President Mnangagwa will attend the ceremony,” he said.
Aviation expert, Jerry Haas said: “The Embraer ERJ-145 will be branded to AirZim livery in the coming days and registered with CAAZ (Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe).”
The new bird was delivered branded in the Zimbabwe Airways livery.
The Zimbabwe Airways' formation has been marred by controversy. For a long time, the government claimed that it was a private company before ministers finally admitted that the company was State-owned.
The government had planned to hide its interest in the airline to avoid creditors attaching the aircraft. Zimbabwe Airways would have taken over overseas routes long abandoned by the ailing Air Zimbabwe, including Harare-London and Harare-Beijing.