New Zim Airline

[Gunship]

THE Pioneer Development Company (PDC) has lodged an application with Zimbabwe's Air Services Board to begin operating a local, private passenger and cargo flight service, Pioneer Airlines, reports Zimbabwe's 'Financial Gazette'.
The new airline, if approved, will begin operations in the first quarter of next year, said Hamish Rudland, director of PDC, of which Pioneer Airlines is a subsidiary.
According to the company's application for an air services permit, the airline will offer passenger and cargo services in any part of Zimbabwe or between Zimbabwe and any neighbouring or foreign country.
"What we are doing is we are looking for a joint venture with local and regional airline companies. This is in anticipation of the influx locally of Chinese tourists," said Rudland, quoted by the Financial Gazette.
The airline's greatest competitor is Zimbabwe's national carrier, Air Zimbabwe, which according to the newspaper has suffered large capacity constraints in recent years.
The exact cost of the venture was not divulged, but Rudland is quoted as saying: "The cost of the project cannot be ascertained at the moment but if we are not going to be able to lease, the cost will run into several millions of American dollars. It will be a multi-billion dollar project."
Rudland said that they are in discussion with some South Africa companies about the leasing of aircraft.

[B Sousa]

Guns Writes:"This is in anticipation of the influx locally of Chinese tourists,"

Whada ya think guns they gonna use them for food.......??

[jumbodrvr7]

Air Zim has capacity constaints???? Would that be the constraint of not enough seats for the passengers or not enough passengers for the seats? The latter me thinks......

[Deanw]

... or not enough seats for the President :E

[PAXboy]

... or not enough seats to spare after Mugabe and friends have boarded.
... or not enough destinations that will allow them to land.
... or not enough maintenance and spares.
... or not enough go-juice for the donkeys?
... or ?
:=

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"I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you any different." Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.

[Coleman Myers]

The more work the better - I suspect they are collaborating with CATS to initially operate a Dornier seen recently at Durban (and occasionaly at Zanzibar ?????). Avient also puttinga DC10 on the Zimbabwe register to compliment their IL-76. Also a DC10 to go on the French register, qualifying them for JAR OPS status no doubt.

All the best to them that create jobs !.

[NoSig Break]

Fair enough on the job creation front.

But, me thinks this is a response to the fact that Hamish R. was recently locked up for a couple of days. A common occurrence in Zim, but he wants the government to get off his ass over the Zupco bus deal.

He is a good man, but get your cash up front on this one! Good luck.

[bacardi walla]

Who are behind Avient financially and operationally and are they worth approaching for work ? I heard the first DC10 is already in France undergoing pre entry maintenance !

[VIKING9]

Has the Avient DC10 actually entered service yet ? Who is running the operations/crewing side as it is my understanding that there is actually nobody doing the latter :confused:

[B Sousa]

A little diversion here...........as Coleman writes:
"New Zimbabwe Airline
The more work the better - I suspect they are collaborating with CATS to initially operate a Dornier seen recently at Durban (and occasionaly at Zanzibar ?????). Avient also puttinga DC10 on the Zimbabwe register to compliment their IL-76. Also a DC10 to go on the French register, qualifying them for JAR OPS status no doubt.
All the best to them that create jobs !."

Just about all the posts I read regarding Zim complain about Mr Mugabe, yet I hear of nothing that suggests anyone is doing anything to convince him to retire or better yet.
Creating Jobs in Zim and making things properous does nothing but fill his coffers. I find it hard to see white faces talk about what they would like to do to this person and then take money from him with a smile..(and business up there is with him in some fashion)
Im sure I will hear that its just something to aid the Zim folks who are really hurting. Personally I dont think they are any better off and remember,they wanted it that way. Now they have it.

[V1 Rotate]

Chinese tourists??
99.9999% of chinese cannot even afford a bicycle and even if they could they will be eyeing the game with their stomachs not their brains.
Zimbabwe is the tragedy of modern times and Mugabes will go down in history with the ranks of Hitler, Stalin,Gaddafi, Saddam Hussein, Milosivitch, Idi Dada etc.
If we really want Zim to prosper we have to get this mad-man out of there fast. Zim still has the potential to be one of the world's leading tourist destinations..but only after Mugabes is gone.
V1 :ok: :ok:

[contraxdog]

Zim still has the potential to be one of the world's leading tourist destinations.

Once they have stocked the gameparks that had been stripped bare, with everything from field mice to elephants. And they have managed to import food from their neighbours because even the chinese tourist has to eat, and fuel for the busses, I dont think the rich Chinese tourist are going to bring their bicycles with.....

Ya ya and where are they going to get the fuel to put in those DC10's etc...

That hard up I have never been. Working in Zim, now?

[Coleman Myers]

B Sousa - your points well noted and quite right in most respects.I think many had hoped that a certain B727 now permanently resident at HRE was going to adjust the Status Quo in Zim !. However, if I may;

Firstly, some Zimbabwean aviators (Asian,white,black or otherwise have nowhere else to go - a Zimmy passport is a bit like a used Tube Ticket at the moment) so whatever work created in Zim, keeps our friends and colleagues in a job. The kind of jobs aviators do there are unlikely to restore prosperity as the operators are mostly foreign registered or owned, limiting the inflow to Zim (like we had in Kenya in the past).

Secondly - how are you so sure I am white ? :}

BACARDI & VIKING - there is a guy called Luis Kling that seems to know more than most about the whole operation. I believe they are contracting to Zim exporter Produco (HRE +263-4-575972) but then also heard Produco had sold up.Hope this helps.

[B Sousa]

"Secondly - how are you so sure I am white ? "

Coleman, if that was for me, I have no clue... What I was refering too were some of those who are white and still are talking bad out one side of the face and smiling at Bobby out of the other.
I should think a non white could get more done up there anyway.
Good luck either way..