TANZANIAN airline, Precision Air, is set to flights to Zimbabwe soon, as it emerged that officials from the airline will visit the country this week to meet authorities in the aviation industry. The team will also meet officials from the tourism industry.
Precision Air's national sales manager, Tuntufye Mwambusi, told a Zimbabwean delegation on the sidelines of the premier world and travel fair in Berlin of its intentions to fly into the country soon.
The Zimbabwean team had officials from the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe and the Zimbabwe Tourism Authority (ZTA).
Mwambusi further revealed that they recently acquired a Boeing 737 aircraft, which is set to be delivered in April this year.
The aircraft will service the Harare-Dar-es-Salam ro-ute.
Previously, this route was being serviced by the national carriers of the two countries, Air Zimbabwe and Air Tanzania, both of which have since pulled out owing to viability problems.
Commenting on this development, ZTA chief operating officer, Givemore Chidzidzi, said that the coming of Precision Air would certainly boost tourism, trade and commerce between the connected countries.
"This is a morale booster from a tourism perspective and we are convinced that this development will further enhance our tourism and bilateral cooperation with Tanzania in all spheres of life including trade and commerce", said Chidzidzi.
Precision Air was established in 1993 and listed on the Dar-es-Salam Stock Exchange last year.
Kenya Airways has 49% in the airline with the remainder owned by a Tanzanian businessman, according to its website.
Its fleet include five 70-seater ATR 72-500, four 47-seater ATR 42 and one Boeing 737. Plans are underway to expand the fleet further by acquiring a second Boeing 737-300, more E-jets and ATRs.
The carrier also set flights to Nairobi and Mombasa in Kenya as well as flights to Entebbe in Uganda.
Meanwhile, Air Namibia, which has been flying to Victoria Falls twice a week, has announced that it will be doubling its frequency and start flying to Harare on March 15 2012.
Air Namibia sales executive Ireen Schroder said this development has been prompted by the unprecedented and renewed interest in Zimbabwe by travellers.
"We used to fly two times a week into Victoria Falls but we are going to be flying to Harare now four times a week starting from 15 March", said Schroder.
Despite efforts being invested by the ZTA to market Zimbabwe globally, the issue of air access has continued to pose a menace to tourism development and this has been aggravated by the failure of Air Zimbabwe to service its routes.
