Zimbabwe Air Travel Stuck in the Slow Lane

The
air
distance
is
about
364
kilometres,
and
a
one-way
ticket
can
be
found
for
around
USD
135.00,
sometimes
less
on
promotion.
That
should
thrill
us,
but
should
also
make
us
impatient.

Domestic
flyers
know
the
math
too
well.
A
Bulawayo–Harare
hop,
just
about
360
kilometres,
often
costs
over
USD
125
one-way
if
booked
late.
Round
trips
can
be
USD
240
or
more.
Most
of
us
go
by
bus
because
we
cannot
afford
to
fly.

Now
look
south.
Durban–Johannesburg
takes
more
time
in
the
air
than
Bulawayo–Harare,
yet
seats
there
often
sell
for
under
USD
80,
even
last-minute.
Johannesburg–Cape
Town,
more
than
triple
the
distance,
can
be
cheaper
per
kilometre
thanks
to
multiple
airlines,
frequent
schedules,
and
a
bigger
market.
South
Africans
fly
farther
for
less
money
than
we
do
here
at
home.

Part
of
the
problem
is
structural.
Fuel
is
costly.
Airport
charges
are
high.
Maintenance,
insurance,
and
a
volatile
currency
raise
the
bill.
Fewer
passengers
and
fewer
flights
make
it
hard
to
spread
fixed
costs.
Airlines
here
cannot
scale
like
those
in
South
Africa,
so
prices
stay
high.

Part
of
it
is
policy
and
management.
Bad
roads
should
make
flying
more
attractive,
yet
airlines
struggle
because
so
few
can
afford
the
fares.
Aviation
fees
and
taxes,
often
used
to
plug
budget
gaps,
keep
costs
high.
Some
airport
charges
are
opaque.
Every
extra
levy
lands
on
the
passenger’s
ticket.

Fastjet’s
move
shows
demand
exists.
It
proves
a
city
outside
Harare
can
sustain
flights
that
matter.
But
five
flights
a
week
is
not
a
network
(Fastjet
has
four
flights
while
air
Zimbabwe
has
one
flight
per
week).
Frequent
schedules
across
multiple
routes
drive
competition
and
bring
prices
down.
That
takes
more
than
one
carrier.
It
takes
an
ecosystem
of
operators,
airports,
and
regulators
pulling
in
the
same
direction.

Flying
here
has
also
become
ceremonial.
Years
of
economic
strain
turned
it
into
something
for
emergencies
or
an
indulgence
for
the
privileged
few.
The
pool
of
potential
travellers
shrank,
and
airlines
priced
for
that
small
group.
It’s
a
loop
that
chokes
demand
and
keeps
fares
high.

We
need
to
change
the
fundamentals.
Aviation
should
be
treated
as
infrastructure,
not
a
cash
cow.
Fees
that
punish
airlines
and
passengers
should
be
reviewed.
Targeted
subsidies
for
key
routes
are
not
charity;
they
are
investments.
Many
countries
support
strategic
flights
until
markets
stabilise.

Airports
can
help
by
cutting
hidden
charges
and
improving
turnaround
times.
Every
minute
a
plane
sits
idle
costs
money.
Lower
those
costs
and
airlines
can
price
more
aggressively.
Regulators
should
make
it
easier
for
low-cost
and
regional
carriers
to
enter
the
market
without
being
buried
in
red
tape.

Private
players
can
share
the
load.
Tour
operators,
hotels,
and
councils
could
bundle
flights
with
packages
to
create
predictable
demand.
Guaranteed
seasonal
seat
blocks
give
airlines
the
confidence
to
add
frequencies
or
lower
fares.

The
numbers
tell
the
story.
Bulawayo–Victoria
Falls:
364
kilometres,
USD
135
on
a
good
day.
Bulawayo–Harare:
aboyt
360
kilometres,
often
over
USD
125
one-way.
Johannesburg–Durban:
similar
time
in
the
air,
often
under
USD
80,
with
sales
dipping
lower
(during
sales
one
may
fly
for
as
little
as
USD
25
on
the
DUR-JNB
route).
The
difference
is
competition,
frequency,
and
policy.

Some
will
argue
the
state
should
stay
out
of
it.
Yet
roads
and
railways
were
built
with
public
money.
Strategic
intervention
in
aviation
works
the
same
way:
connect
hubs,
build
demand,
then
step
back.
The
private
sector
alone
will
not
move
fast
enough.
Airlines
need
scale,
and
scale
comes
from
cooperation
between
government,
business,
and
carriers.

There’s
a
safety
case
too.
The
road
between
Bulawayo
and
Victoria
Falls
is
long
and
dangerous
in
most
parts.
A
safe,
quick,
affordable
flight
saves
lives
as
well
as
time.
That
is
reason
enough
to
act.

Fastjet’s
new
route
is
proof
that
change
is
possible.
But
it
will
not
be
a
revolution
unless
we
push
for
more.
More
routes.
More
players.
Transparent
fees.
Policies
that
see
aviation
as
a
public
good.
The
next
time
a
Bulawayo–Victoria
Falls
fare
makes
headlines,
it
should
not
be
because
it
is
rare,
but
because
it
has
become
normal.
The
sky
above
Zimbabwe
should
be
a
common
road,
not
a
luxury
lane.

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