Zimbabwe: Mugabe’s Airline To Be Blocked

Plans to launch a new airline in Zimbabwe have faced a major setback from the new government.

It was announced in October this year that then-President Robert Mugabe was planning to launch a new private airline, named “Zimbabwe Airways”.

The airline was set to take over from Zimbabwe’s current, struggling, national airline, Air Zimbabwe.

Air Zimbabwe’s current CEO, and son-in-law to Mugabe, Simba Chikore, was tipped to become head of the new airline.

The announcement that the ruling family would own and run a private airline was met with public outrage.

According to reports, the administration of new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa, is likely to prevent the new airline from being established.

A confidential aviation source said: “The deal is now being scrutinised and once that is completed, the president will be advised to block it.”

President Mnangagwa will focus, instead, on revitalising Air Zimbabwe, which is floundering with a hugely-reduced fleet of planes and a debt of more than 300 million US dollars.