UGANDA Airlines is to launch new flights into Cape Town in South Africa via Harare, as it expands its southern African network, the Zimbabwe Independent was informed this week.
The airline, which already operates air services between Kampala and Johannesburg in South Africa, will join three other eastern African airlines, which have a presence on Zimbabwean routes.
These are Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines and RwandAir.
It is also the latest of several operators to take an interest in Zimbabwe, where a string of regional operators now fly into Harare, Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.
Information obtained from the Airports Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ), showed the airline was yet to decide when it will begin frequencies into Harare.
But ACZ said the planned route was part of several that are already under consideration.
“Uganda Airlines is planning to launch scheduled flights to Cape Town, South Africa via Harare, Zimbabwe from Kampala, Uganda,” according to an ACZ report titled Business Development Report August 2023.
“Fly Namibia is scheduled to introduce four weekly flights between Windhoek, Namibia and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe in the first quarter of 2024.
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“Airlink will be launching scheduled flights between Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport, South Africa and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe on 28 November 2023,” the report stated.
The report came as Cemair, a South African airline, launched four times weekly air services between Johannesburg and Victoria Falls in August, followed by Fly Safair, which launched flights from Johannesburg to Harare on October 2, 2023.
It also launched flights on the Johannesburg - Victoria Falls route.
However, among those that began services on the Zimbabwean market, Zambian national flag carrier, Zambia Airways, has pulled out.
Authorities and airline officials in both countries did not disclose why the airline pulled out after being asked by the Independent three weeks ago.
But Tawanda Gusha, chief executive officer (CEO) ACZ, hinted the airline was working on ‘in-house logistics’ before an expected return next month.
Zambia Airways was bullish when it touched down at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in March, saying it was targeting to fly 1,9 million passengers per annum as traffic grows.
Emmanuel Chisanga, executive assistant to the airline’s CEO, told the Independent that the destination remained on Zambia Airways’ radar.
He confirmed that it will be relaunching in November.
“I can confirm that we temporarily discontinued our services there and we are resuming early November,” Chisanga said.
“I will connect you to our commercial manager for him to shed more light on our plans.”
Competition is cutthroat on the Harare - Lusaka route. Smaller regional airlines on the route compete with global carriers, including Emirates and Ethiopian Airlines (ET), which enjoy fifth freedom rights, allowing them to land and pick passengers in Harare and Lusaka as they proceed to other destinations.
Several Zimbabwean and Zambian airlines have tried but failed to compete.
