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By Staff Reporter

ZIMBABWE'S national airline Air Zimbabwe has taken delivery of two Chinese aircraft to boost its ageing fleet.

It would be the first time the Xinhou-60 enters the aviation market in a deal which has heavy political backing in line with President Robert Mugabe 'Look East' policy.

The delivery ceremony was held at the Xi'an Aircraft Industry Group Co in Xi'an, capital of the northwestern Shaanxi province.

The Chinese state news agency Xhinuanet described the Xinhou-60 as "the new generation turboprop aircraft that embodies state-of-the-art technologies", further adding: "the aircraft has reportedly reached international standards in terms of safety, cost-effectiveness, comfort and ease of maintenance."

The delivery came just a week after Zimbabwe's Air Force took delivery of six fighter jets at a cost of over US$120 million. President Mugabe said the jets were acquired to "deal with any challenges".

Zimbabwe also recently acquired commuter buses for the state-run Zimbabwe United Passenger Company (Zupco).

There has been growing anger in Zimbabwe at the influx of cheap, and usually fake, Chinese products on the market.

Mugabe's new Asian alliances have seen Air Zimbabwe introducing routes to China and offering cheap flights for tourists and business executives who wish to visit or start business in Zimbabwe.

Air Zimbabwe had 15 planes at Independence in 1980 and was a major player on the regional and international scene. The fleet gradually wasted away during the 1980s and early 90s as the Zanu PF government wreaked havoc on the economy.

Of the five planes currently at Air Zimbabwe, two 767 Boeings operate the Harare-London route, presently the major source of income for the national airline. Air Zimbabwe is however unable to satisfy demand on the lucrative route which has seen British Airways operating a daily flight between Harare and London.

Two Boeing 737s operate local and regional routes whilst the fifth plane has been out of service for several months now due to failure to purchase spare parts.

Local and regional routes operated by Air Zimbabwe include Harare-Bulawayo, Harare-Victoria Falls and Harare-Johannesburg. But even on these limited routes service is erratic while scheduled flights are often cancelled at short notice to accommodate the wishes of the political leadership.
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