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Zimbabwe to set up a cargo airline next year

Zimbabwe's cash-strapped government planned to set up a cargo airline next year to boost horticultural exports and foreign currency earnings, finance minister Herbert Murerwa said this week.

The country, which is battling its worst economic crisis since independence in 1980, was also considering buying new passenger planes, he said.

After the collapse of state-run cargo carrier Affretair five years ago, Zimbabwe has been relying on small, foreign and local, privately owned cargo planes to export products to neighbouring countries, including South Africa, where they are offloaded on to bigger planes for longer distances.

"The small and few operators in the cargo business are lacking capacity, with most of the agricultural products meant for international markets not being transported on time, hence loss of foreign currency earnings," Murerwa said.

Zimbabwe exports horticultural products mostly to western Europe.

The government was considering buying new planes to rebuild Air Zimbabwe's fleet, which had been depleted by shortages of foreign currency for spare parts and mismanagement, Murerwa said. He gave no figures. Air Zimbabwe has four planes.

Zimbabwe has already ordered three passenger planes from China's National Aero Technology Import and Export Corporation.
Murerwa said the three planes were an investment by China.

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