Roberta Katunga, Senior Business Reporter
THE Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe expects the increased passenger traffic trend to accelerate as its infrastructural development programmes yield results, an official said.
In an interview CAAZ general manager Mr David Chawota said the general increase in passenger movement averaging 10 percent was as a result of the joint marketing efforts with the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority.
Mr Chawota said the two authorities were working together to market the destination and the implementation of Meetings Incentives Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism that the country had adopted was facilitating more traffic at the country’s airports.
“It is true that we have been recording an increase in passenger traffic at our airports and we do expect this trend to not only continue for the rest of the year but to accelerate on the back of our efforts to develop our facilities.
“As CAAZ we have been providing a quality service at our airports that ensure safety and security and our ongoing development programmes at our major airports are testimony to that,” said Mr Chawota.
He revealed that work at Bulawayo’s Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport was complete while the Victoria Falls
Airport was almost done with work also being done to the Harare International Airport runway.
Mr Chawota also said the advent of low cost carriers like Fast Jet and Fly Africa into the country’s airports had stimulated growth.
“Last year airlines like Fast Jet and Fly Africa brought in new markets that stimulated new demand from different sections of the population. In addition to that, there is a general tourism growth and aviation growth spurred by lower fares.
“All these have led to a growth in passenger traffic and aircraft movement at all our airports,” Mr Chawota said.
Speaking on the Victoria Falls international game changer airport, Mr Chawota confirmed reports that British Airways, Comair, South African Airways as well as Air Zimbabwe had indicated the intention to introduce bigger aircrafts.
He said as evidenced by the local national airline which is now flying a Boeing 767 with a capacity of 203 passengers into the resort town, there was confidence in the new airport and its ability to handle larger equipment.
“BA, Comair and SAA have all made indications that they want to improve their equipment in terms of size and this is a welcome development,” he said.
Meanwhile, other airlines operating in the country have reportedly increased the size of their equipment due to a growth in numbers of passengers.
Airlines that have increased size of equipment include Air Namibia which is now using an Airbus from the embryo as well as Emirates which upgraded to a Boeing 777 in place of the A330 that they were using.