by Tendai Matunhu

In a development expected to boost tourists arrival in the country, major airlines are expected to fly into Zimbabwe this year, the Harare Post has learnt.

A source within the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ), revealed that Qatar Airways was expected to fly into Zimbabwe by August 2020. He said it would fly from Qatar to Lusaka then Harare and it would be dropping and picking up passengers along the way in line with the Fifth Freedom Schedule which was granted to Qatar by the Government of Zimbabwe through the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development.

The Fifth Freedom Schedule allows airlines to carry passengers between foreign countries as a part of their services connecting the airline’s own country. It is also the right for an airline to carry passengers from one’s own country to a second country and from that country to a third country.

According to the same contact, Lufthansa Airways, a German Airline, is also expected to fly into Zimbabwe with effect from March 2020. It is expected to fly from German to Windhoek, Namibia then to Victoria Falls. It will be flying three times a week between Windhoek and Victoria Falls. Lufthansa is currently flying to Windhoek with German tourists.

Same source went on to say that there are engagements going on between The Government of Zimbabwe and Turkey and China through the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA) which will see airlines from these countries flying to Zimbabwe by the end of 2020.

Recently, Air Zimbabwe received a Boeing B777 as part of the government’s ongoing plans to resuscitate the airline. Three more planes are set to arrive in the following weeks.

 The introduction of these airlines to Zimbabwe will boost not only tourism but also business connectivity between countries, thereby helping Zimbabwe attain its vision of being a middle income economy by 2030.