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NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Airlink takes to the skies

Business
Airlink will on Sunday begin direct flights between Cape Town and Victoria Falls as southern Africa’s largest independent airline expands its footprints.

Airlink will on Sunday begin direct flights between Cape Town and Victoria Falls as southern Africa’s largest independent airline expands its footprints.

BY BUSINESS REPORTER

The airline will offer a six-day service except on Saturdays.

Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe general manager, David Chawota told NewsDay yesterday that Airlink’s maiden flight to Victoria Falls was on course.

“As of Tuesday, the airline had confirmed that it will fly into Victoria Falls on Sunday,” Chawota said, adding that CAAZ was in talks with a number of airlines to fly into Zimbabwe.

According to Airlink’s schedule, the flight departs Cape Town at 8:30am, arriving in Victoria Falls at 11:15am. The airline also has flights to Harare and Bulawayo from Johannesburg.

Aviation and tourism experts say the entry of Airlink into the resort town is a vote of confidence in the destination.

Victoria Falls has been luring airlines after the completion of the $150 million airport upgrade, which allows it to accommodate wide-bodied aircrafts in the mould of B747 or its equivalent.

In March, South African Airways became the first airline to fly a wide-bodied aircraft in the mould of A330-200 to Victoria Falls.

The aircraft has a capacity of 222 passengers.

Africa’s leading carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, has also been lured, introducing four weekly flights to the resort town beginning March 27.

Kenyan Airways introduced three weekly flights between Nairobi and Victoria Falls on May 1.

Airlink serves 35 routes in Southern Africa.