Air Zimbabwe trip report
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at 08:03 by SimonS1.
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SimonS1ParticipantI couldn’t find Air Zim (UM) in the list of airlines so added it here instead.
I needed to fly internally in Zim last week. Despite something like 30 different companies being given route authorisations over the last 10 years none has ever seen the light of day and Air Zim continues to limp on as the sole domestic provider.
Harare – Bulawayo: 07.00 flight.
Check in at the old domestic terminal in Hre took about 5 mins. Departure tax of $15 had to be paid in cash at the airport. This arrangement applies to UM only – I tried to find out why and was told by an airport employee that UM had proved unreliable at paying the dues to the government when included in the ticket price.
Our aircraft was Z-WPE, a Boeing 767-200. 26 years old. A wide body jet on a 30 minute domestic flight probably explains why the airline is in such parlous state. The flight was about 20% full. This was the aircraft which found fame some years back when commandeered by Mugabe and his entourage for various trips to China leaving passengers stranded in London and Frankfurt (a crew member unconvincingly reassured me that ‘those days are gone now’, although I doubt you would travel to China in this machine).
At 7am an airport employee wandered around (the PA having long since gone unserviceable) saying the flight was 45 mins late for operational reasons at 7.45am we ambled across the tarmac and onto the plane. Just like something out of an old movie – those ceiling mounted projectors and big screens at each cabin front.
The captain apologised for the delay (a little too frankly – he said a member of the crew had failed to appear for work and replacement had to be called from town), and we headed off.
In flight service was simple – nothing.
Overall a surprisingly comfortable flight, loads of legroom, and we landed safely in Bulawayo 35 mins later. Out of the airport in about 2 mins and off to town.
Bulawayo to Harare – 19.15 flight
Bulawayo airport is an impressive glass and steel affair. A classic white elephant, for the 1 international and 2/3 domestic flights a day. Checked in and time for a beer before heading to departures.
The inward flight was about 45 mins late and fair dos to the ground staff for a 10 minute turnaround. Almost to the point where passengers were boarding at the rear whilst people disembarked at the front.
The aircraft was Z-WPB, a 737-200, 29 years old and every seat taken. This was the aircraft that made headlines the previous week when it departed Johannesburg for Zimbabwe with only 1 passenger on board (chess player Nigel Short, who tweeted to all and sundry).
Having trimmed the departure delay to 15 mins the old PW JT8D engines came to life and screamed as we tore down the runway. Reminded me of something from my childhood with that massive noise. The inside had clearly seen better days, for example shoulder height seats which would probably not meet modern standards.
Again no service on board.
After 35 mins a comfortable landing. At 4.75km Harare has one of the longest runways in the world and the thrust reversers were mercifully spared duty as we coasted pretty much the full length to where the terminals are located.
Within 75 seconds of exiting the plane I was out of the airport and on my way back to the city.
I’m not sure this is an experience I would repeat every day but it was an experience. As with most Zimbabweans the staff were a pleasure to deal with, the airports uncrowded and easy to navigate and with the exception of the timekeeping a perfectly satisfactory experience.
In the last week Air Zim has managed to release 1 of its A320s by paying off the outstanding debts increasing its fleet to 4 (the other is a Chinese MA60 which flies to Lusaka). Hopefully this might help herald a new start for this once prosperous country.
30 Jul 2015
at 15:16
LuganoPirateParticipantMorning Simon,
Seems this fellow had the whole plane to himself.
19 Aug 2015
at 04:43
SimonS1ParticipantSadly that isn’t the record either LP.
http://www.dailynews.co.zw/articles/2012/11/14/air-zim-flies-with-no-passengers-on-board
A week after I travelled passengers on the morning flight from Bulawayo were delayed 8 hours as the airline ran out of fuel and the plane had to fly to Zambia to fill up…..
19 Aug 2015
at 08:03 -
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