Published by the government of Zimbabwe
10 November 2009
Harare — Zimbabwe's first low-cost airline, Fly Kumba, will be launched in Harare this Friday with its maiden flight to Johannesburg, South Africa, scheduled for the second week of December.
Fly Kumba had initially been scheduled to take-off to the skies in September but company executives said this had not been possible as a result of "unanticipated challenges which have since been attended to".
They could not divulge much as to the reasons for the delay.
The new airline will mainly service the Harare-Johannesburg route and local destinations such as Victoria Falls, Bulawayo and Kariba.
Fly Kumba chief financial officer, Mr Patrick Chapwanya said the airline sought to complement the country's national airline, Air Zimbabwe, by providing cost-effective solutions to those travelling to and from South Africa and the region.
He said Fly Kumba was borne out of the realisation that consumers were now bargain hunters who needed the best service at less cost hence the introduction of such a package.
Apart from offering affordable rates customers are also spared the hustle associated with travelling by road to and from South Africa.
"It takes plus or minus 24 hours to get to Johannesburg from Harare by road. So we are saying yes you might be travelling in a luxury state-of-the-art bus but it does not compensate for the trouble one goes through before they arrive. Hence we are offering a fare as low as US$85 one way. Effectively one can maximise on a trip to South and come back the same day at a very low cost."
Chief executive officer, Lloyd Muchaka said the airline would play its part in supporting Government's initiatives, one of which was the Open Skies policy.
"The distance between Johannesburg and Cape Town is more or less the same as Harare to Johannesburg and that route has a number of budget airlines and people have really taken advantage of that hence this opportunity for Zimbabweans."
Mr Muchaka said Fly Kumba has offices at the Harare International Airport and in central Harare for tickets and administration. In Johannesburg their offices are at Park Station to take advantage of the GauTrain (the new rapid train scheduled to be launched in time for the Fifa 2010 World Cup).
At Fly Kumba all is now set for the Harare- Johannesburg flight with more flights in and around the country and region due in the next two to three months.
Fly Kumba would be operating the Harare- Johannesburg, Harare-Bulawayo, Harare-Vic Falls, Johannesburg-Vic Falls and Harare-Kariba routes.
"We enjoy maintenance support from leading aviation companies with state-of-the-art technology. This ensures that there would not be compromise on safety, reliability or on-time travel."
Fly Kumba has a working relationship with world renowned low-cost support for reservations and revenue management service providers. It intends to introduce e-booking and e-ticketing facilities on line as well as tele-booking.
Mr Machaka said the FIFA 2010 World Cup presented the Zimbabwean tourism industry with countless opportunities and Fly Kumba would cease these.
"The airline thus wants to play its part in championing sport tourism and propping up initiatives by the Ministry of Tourism and Hospitality Industry.
"We are also confident that the introduction of the airline would play a pivotal role in boosting tourist arrivals given that tourism is one of the sectors that could significantly contribute to the country's economic growth." he said.
Muchaka said Fly Kumba is committed to being a good corporate citizen and in that regard would continue to provide for the betterment of the community in which it operates.
The airline has a comprehensive Corporate Social Investment strategy premised on giving back to the less privileged members of society in a sustainable and lasting effect.
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