ETHIOPIAN Airlines is adding Zimbabwe’s second largest city Bulawayo as a new destination starting at the end of October this year, in another positive development for the country’s rapidly expanding aviation sector.
The airline was already flying into Harare and Victoria Falls. “Ethiopian Airlines is pleased to announce the launch of flights to Bulawayo, our third destination city in Zimbabwe next to Harare and Victoria Falls, starting from 30 October 2022,” the airline said in a Tweet.
Ethiopian Airlines is the fastest growing airline in Africa and envisages reaching 120 international destinations worldwide by the year 2025. Zimbabwe has witnessed increased interest from various airlines in recent years, with some, including Emirates, increasing flight frequency while others, including Germany’s Eurowings Discover airline and RwandAir, have also entered the country’s air market.
The renewed interest in Zimbabwe as a destination is a show of confidence in the local tourism industry, and aviation market in general, by foreign airlines and the international com- munity.
Authorities have attributed the growing interest in the country by foreign airlines to improved aviation infrastructure. For example, the government is in the final stages of refurbishing and expanding the country’s major airport, the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International.
The Victoria Falls airport, which now has a handling capacity of 1,5 million passengers per year, up from 500 000, and the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo airport, were refurbished and upgraded to international standards. Resources would also be directed towards upgrading all small airports in the country to increase their passenger and cargo handling capacity. — New Ziana
