AIR Zimbabwe will take delivery of two new Airbus A340-200 aircraft before the end of the year after the government paid out US$400 million.
The first of the planes will be delivered as early as next month, with a second expected to follow in November, aviation sources said on Sunday.
The new aircraft will service Air Zimbabwe’s long-haul routes – mainly China and the United Kingdom.
News of the planes’ acquisition comes as a strike by the state-owned carrier’s pilots and cabin staff enters a third week with no resolution in sight.
Air Zimbabwe’s management has been pressing the government to replenish its ageing fleet to give it a competitive edge.
The airline currently flies two Boeing B767-200s, three B737-200s and three Chinese Xian MA 60 turboprops.
Aviation sources told New Zimbabwe.com the government had originally intended to buy two Boeing 767s, but the company refused to sell to Zimbabwe for political reasons.
The government then turned to the France-based Airbus which agreed to supply the aircraft, each with a capacity of 300 passengers.
Air Zimbabwe chairman Jonathan Kadzura said the acquisition of new aircraft was “a matter for the shareholder”, adding: “I have also heard about it (new planes), but to be frank, I am not aware of it.”