Air Zim maintains grip on Harare-Vic Falls route

05 Jul, 2015 - 00:07 0 Views

The Sunday News

NATIONAL airline, Air Zimbabwe has maintained its grip on the traditional Harare-Victoria Falls route while Fly Africa has suspended its flights on the same route due to challenges in penetrating the market.

The Harare-Vic Falls route is a prime route that links Zimbabwe’s capital with the resort town.

In an interview, Air Zimbabwe public relations manager Ms Shingai Taruvinga said aviation was not about quick returns but a need to grow a route.

“This is a route that we have grown for both domestic and international travellers and it is a critical ingredient to the development of tourism in the country. For us it goes beyond offering a service but we understand our role in representing brand Zimbabwe,” said Ms Taruvinga.

Ms Taruvinga said the airline’s competitive advantage over its competitors was consistency and understanding the value of that particular route to the development of tourism in the country.

She said Air Zimbabwe understood that they had to be part of a holistic hospitality package.

“Of all the routes, Harare-Vic Falls is a critical path and it is what defines accessibility of this country. For an airline like us that understands the criticality of this route, we strive to ensure that we go beyond offering a service unlike some airlines.

“An airline gives the first impression of the country as a product and a destination when a visitor enters and also the last impression as they leave,” said Ms Taruvinga.

Speaking on the domestic market that has ensured good volumes on that route, Ms Taruvinga said Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events (MICE) business had proven to be a lucrative and consistent segment of tourism.

“Passengers that come for meetings and conferences give us high value in terms of returns in business hence our daily flights are usually fully booked. MICE business has helped us maintain our existence in the market,” she said.

She urged all stakeholders and experts in different fields to work together in bringing in high value conferences to the country as these augur well for the destination.

Meanwhile, low cost airline Fly Africa has suspended its service on the Harare-Victoria Falls route citing challenges in penetrating the market.

Although company chairman Professor Chakanyuka Karese was not available to comment as he was said to be out of the country, an inquiry at the company’s offices confirmed that the airline had suspended its flights between Harare and Victoria Falls.

An official at the company said it was not clear when the flights would resume as there were contrasting statements from management with others saying flights would resume in August on time for the holidays while others were saying October.

“It is has been difficult for them to penetrate that market hence the decision to suspend flights. Fly Africa also cancelled a number of their services in Zimbabwe,” said the official.

 

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