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Business Reporter

Air Zimbabwe will resume domestic and regional flights from next week after the Government relaxed air travel restrictions imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus, the airline announced yesterday.

The domestic flights schedule features Harare-Bulawayo-Victoria Fall-Harare in the morning and Harare-Victoria Falls-Bulawayo-Harare in the evening on Mondays and Wednesday.

The regional Harare-Dar es-Salaam-Harare schedule will initially operate every Tuesday and Saturday with additional frequency expected towards end of year.

Domestic flight will start on September 23 while regional flights will resume on October 3. Air Zimbabwe said it is waiting for opening for South African airspace and airport to resume flights to Johannesburg. Local airline fastjet announced it will resume domestic flights from September 21, starting with Harare-Bulawayo-Harare route and later Harare-Victoria Falls-Harare route.

The Government recently lifted the ban on domestic and international flights which it had imposed as part of broader measures to combat the spread of deadly coronavirus which has so far infected about 29,6 million people and killed 935 000 globally. The global pandemic came at a time when global airlines are gradually increasing capacity and frequency as more and more countries relax travel restrictions.

Meanwhile, Ethiopian Airways has become the first regional airliner to confirm resumption of service into Zimbabwe post Covid-19 with first flight into Victoria Falls scheduled for October 6.

However, aviation experts believe the re-opening of OR Tambo airport in South Africa is key to revival of the aviation industry in the southern African region.

Posting on its website, Ethiopian Airways said it was “pleased to announce resumption of flight services into Victoria Falls effective 6 October 2020.”

The airline has advised prospective travellers to make new or re-activate previous  bookings that were affected by Covid-19.

The airline has since resumed flights into Namibia and plans are underway to start flying to Johannesburg.