AIR ZIMBABWE RE-ADMITTED TO IATA AND SIGNS CONTRACT WITH AIR FRANCE KLM GROUP Air Zimbabwe has been re-admitted to the International Air Transport Association’s International Operational Safety Audit registry after complying with the aviation body’s minimum standards. This means the national airline now meets IATA’s operational safety, efficient and quality benchmarks observed by operators worldwide. Transport, Communications and Infrastructural Development Minister Nicholas Goche yesterday announced the re-admission of Air Zimbabwe to the IOSA registry through a statement read on his behalf by his ministry’s secretary Mr Munesu Munodawafa at a press conference. “We are, therefore, proud to announce the airline’s re-registration following the international air transport association operational safety audit (IOSA) in December 2012,” Minister Goche said. He said IOSA was an internationally recognised and accepted evaluation system designed to assess the operational and management and control systems of all member airlines. Goche said the re-registration was crucial for attracting a strategic partner. “As an IOSA registered operator, Air Zimbabwe retains its IATA membership, meets part of the requirements to attract strategic partners with world class airlines, meets high safety standards while realising notable cost savings and operational efficiency,” he said. IATA’s IOSA safety and operational audits are carried out bi-annually. The re-registration followed an IOSA audit programme undertaken from December 17 to December 21, 2012 after which Air Zimbabwe had 12 months to close gaps that were identified. “These findings were officially closed on May 24, 2013 which resulted in the airline being re-registered by IATA,” Goche said in a statement. The development augurs well for the rebuilding of passenger and stakeholder confidence as Air Zimbabwe resumed operations starting with regional flights to Johannesburg and selected domestic routes recently. The government leased two 150-seater Airbus A320 planes for Air Zimbabwe to help boost the airline’s fleet as it resumed operations last July. One of the aircraft has already been deployed on the Harare-Johannesburg route. “After the resumption of its operations and the acquisition of two Airbus A320, Air Zimbabwe has signed a contract with Air France-KLM Group to ensure the aircraft have the necessary support,” the Air France group said in a statement. “The contract includes access to the Air France KLM pool, with repairs at the time of flight and the provision of a Main Base Kit, located initially in Johannesburg, then in Harare. “Along with this agreement, Air Zimbabwe has decided to entrust AFI-KLM with the maintenance and repair of the aircraft engines.” The re-registrations make Air Zimbabwe one of the 25 airlines in Sub-Saharan Africa on the IOSA registry out of a total of 34 in Africa.
Posted on: Tue, 16 Jul 2013 08:41:46 +0000