Aviation Magazine Volume 4

2 Aviation Magazine Vol 4
It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you the
second edition of the Aviation Magazine of 2017.
I am sure you will agree with me that this has been
an eventful year for Zimbabwean Aviation.
Earlier in the year, we witnessed an increase in the
number of operators to Victoria Falls at the behest
of a rare bird the Pied Wheatear. As the year
progressed other airlines increased frequencies to
our various airports or up-scaled their equipment
as with the case with RwandAir to Harare and
South African Airlink which now operates their new
Embraer E190 to JM Nkomo International airport
in Bulawayo.
History was made last month when Harare
International Airport was renamed Robert Gabriel
Mugabe International Airport. This befitting honour,
to one of Zimbabwe’s founding fathers, is a tribute
deserving both in name and in character. Robert
Gabriel Mugabe International Airport will no doubt
propel our aviation industry to greater heights.
The greater heights mentioned above will be
facilitated by the upgrading of Robert Mugabe
International Airport. The works will see the airport
offer modern features and amenities required by
both the passenger and airlines alike. The new
capacity of 6 million passengers per annum
will require aggressive marketing to ensure that
maximum capacity is obtained. A detailed review
of the upgrading project is covered on page….
Through close collaboration with the Tourism
and Hospitality industry, we are proud to say that
we have started attracting a new kind of tourist
to Zimbabwe. Private jets from across the world
continue descend upon Victoria Falls and this
trend must be promoted and encouraged. These
visits would not have been possible had it not be for
the new State of the Art Victoria Falls International
Airport that can now accommodate wide bodied
aircraft and the continued destination marketing
from our tourism partners.
In this edition, you will be enlightened on the
cornerstone of international aviation which is
the Bilateral Air Service Agreement, commonly
referred to as BASA, Africa’s plan for a common
airspace and taken on a tour of the Eastern
Highlands and the new skywalk.
It is my sincere hope that you will enjoy reading
this edition of the Aviation Magazine as my team
and I enjoyed compiling it for you our esteemed
reader.
Happy Reading
AJ Hungwe
Editor’snoteAviationMagazine1stIssue2017.
ANNA JULIA HUNGWE

Vol 4 Aviation Magazine 3
CONTENTS
4. Foreword
6. View From the control tower
8. Avi-News
10. Common Market of East and Southern Africa
(COMESA) airspace integration project
12. What a shot
14. Five in Five
16. 2017 Customer Service Week celebrations
18. Breaking barriers, a lady’s touch in air worthiness
20. Insightful quotes
22. Is East Africa rising?
30. SA bailout money not enough to buy Emirates
33. Seven hidden aircraft features you probably didn’t
know
34. Zimbabwe and Mozambique review BASA
36. Africa’s low cost airline: What’s next?
38. Drones in Zimbabwe
40. New Victoria Falls International Airport behind boom
in tourist arrivals to the destination
43. Tourism news
44. Eastern Highlands: There is nowhere more beautiful in
Africa
48. Watch what you eat before boarding
50. All in a day’s work
52. Essential travel tips
Civil Aviation
Authority of Zimbabwe
OUR CONTACTS
3rd
Level
New Terminal Building
R.G Mugabe International Airport
Harare, Zimbabwe
Tel: +263 (4) 585073/88
Fax: +263 (4) 585100
pr@caaz.co.zw
marketing@caaz.co.zw
www.caaz.co.zw
AVIATION MAGAZINE
EDITORIAL TEAM
Editor
Annajulia Hungwe
ajhungwe@caaz.coz.zw
Consulting Editor
Monica Cheru Mpambawashe
monica.mpambawashe@zimpapers.co.zw
Content
Nunurai Ndawana
nndawana@caaz.co.zw
Photography
CAAZ PR
pr@caaz.co.zw
Advertising
Tendai Mbirimi
tendai.mbirimi@zimpapers.co.zw
Design and Layout
Wellington Ziduche
lilzidutch@gmail.com
wellington.ziduche@zimpapers.co.zw
Contributors
Prof Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome
Jon Howell
Markus Korhonen
Ross Kennedy
Lovejoy Chihanga
Monica Cheru Mpambawashe
Iyabo Sosina
Publisher
Zimpapers
Corner G. Silundika/Sam Nujoma
04-795771
Printers
NatPrint
102 Simon Mazorodze
04-621730
Social Media
Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe
@caaz_online
@caazonline

FOREWORD
T
he prospect of air
transport in Africa
is very bright as air
traffic is expected
to double by 2030.
With the resurgence
of positive interest
in the establishment of a Single
African Air Transport Market (SAATM)
through the full implementation of
the Yamoussoukro Decision (YD),
African States are now more than
ever before ready to foster the
sustainable development of air
transport with its catalytic roles to
connect African States to regional
and global markets.
This will no doubt enhance the
expeditious movement of people,
goods and other vital tourism and
business development activities.
Already, the major stakeholders
are intensifying efforts to foster
dialogue not only to identify, but
to implement practical strategies
and concrete actions that will
boost the development of air links,
tourism, trade and investment
across the continent especially
through improvements in the
regulatory framework, infrastructure
investment, airline ownership as well
as operational incentives for airlines
in order to create a competitive
environment for aviation business
to thrive on the continent.
The African sky is increasingly being
used by major airlines with latest-
generation aircraft that require
suitable infrastructure. In addition,
African airlines are showing
development ambitions and have
IYABO O. SOSINA (MS)
Secretary General of
the African Civil Aviation
Commission (AFCAC)

begun to renew their fleet with
the acquisition of large aircrafts
in anticipation of the expected
growth.
Thus, there is the need for Africa’s
civil aviation infrastructure to be as
efficient, effective and sustainable
as their counterparts in terms of
reliability and versatility of their
operations. In this regard, AFCAC
will continue to urge all African
States to utilize the African Civil
Aviation Policy (AFCAP) as it supports
safe, functional, cost effective
and user-friendly airports in terms
of airport planning, infrastructure
development and maintenance.
AFCAP also encourages Public/
Private participation in the
development and maintenance of
airports which should be privatized,
autonomous, competitive and
highly commercialized airport
systems.
Furthermore, within the air transport
value chain, there is room for further
improvement through innovation
and collaboration among all
stakeholders for improved efficiency
and effectiveness in the industry
as well as for the purposes of both
prosperity and security, resulting in
a common goal of a safe, secure,
reliable, economical and efficient
air transport.
In the area of safety, it is noteworthy
that safety standards in Africa
have improved tremendously.
AFCAC in collaboration with other
stakeholders have continued
to promote the development
of programmes, projects and
initiatives which are assisting
States to implement safety targets
especially through education and
training. These have significantly
enhanced the human resource
capacity building in Africa leading
to the delivery of satisfactory safety
and security standards in the region.
These efforts have also led to the
progressive increase in the level of
Effective Implementation (EI) of the
critical elements of Safety during
the ICAO Universal Safety Oversight
Audit Program (USOAP) resulting
in an increase in the number of
member States with EIs of 60% or
greater.
So far, many of international airports
withinAFIRegionhavebeencertified
as of September, 2017 and the
remaining international airports are
in the process of certification. Also,
20 airlines have undergone IOSA
training through an IATA sponsored
initiative while 7 airlines have been
added to the IOSA Registry as of the
same time above.
In the area of aviation security,
AFCAC with the African Union
Commission (AUC) and the
International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) have assisted
the African Ministers responsible
for air transport to set targets
which should improve their States’
implementation of the critical
elements of security and facilitation
and right now, AFCAC is engaged
in expediting the endorsement
of the Ministerial Declaration and
Targets on Security and Facilitation
by the AU Summit of Heads of State
and Government.
All these milestones are significant
and they remain crucial to the
realization of the Single African
Air Transport Market in Africa and
integration of the African continent
in line with the AU Agenda 2063.
Therefore, it is important for
aviation stakeholders in Africa
including the airlines and those
in the aviation value chain to
sustain mutual cooperation and
collaboration for the purpose of
sharing resources, acquiring mutual
support and achieving cooperative
development in order to help
address areas of deficiencies,
harness opportunities in the aviation
arena and build on our many
common aviation interests.
Ms. Iyabo O. Sosina is the Secretary General (SG) of the
African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC), a job she began
on 9 January, 2012. With close to three decades of aviation
industry experience, Ms. Sosina is a strong advocate of the
need for African States to open up their skies to each other
so that African airlines can operate freely within the continent,
thereby connecting the capitals and cities of Africa and forging
the integration of the continent.
She is a passionate believer in the vast potentials of the
African aviation industry and as Secretary General/CEO of
AFCAC, one of her immediate priorities has been to actualize
the Establishment of the Single African Air Transport Market
(SAATM) by 2017 through the full implementation of the
Yamoussoukro Decision (YD) in accordance with the African
Union Agenda 2063.
She has also very strongly promoted the improvement of safety
and security in Africa and has worked in her capacity as the SG
with other partners to raise the level of effective implementation
of the critical elements of safety and security of the member
States of AFCAC to the global average with increasing success.
Prior to her appointment to the position of SG of AFCAC, she
was the Director of Air Transport Regulation in the Nigerian
Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), from 2009-2012 where she
supervised the preparation of the Air Transport Economic
Regulations incorporating the Consumer Protection Regulations.
She also supervised the automation of the Department as
well as the automation or collection from source, of the Sales
Charge which formed 95% of the organization’s revenue.
Her aviation career began in 1989 with the International
Relations Department of the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Aviation.
A pioneer staff of the NCAA, she held various positions and
was part of the team whose work led to the commercialization
and liberalization of the air transport industry in Nigeria and the
institutionalization of consumer protection programmes.
Ms. Sosina has been instrumental in organizing several
international and regional conferences and assisted in
negotiating more than forty (40) Bilateral Air Services Agreements
(BASA) between Nigeria and other countries.
The holder of a Bachelor’s Degree in History/Political Science
from the University of Ife, Ile-Ife, Nigeria, Ms. Sosina later
obtained her Master of Science Degree in International History
from the London School of Economics and Political Science
(LSE), University of London. She also has two Diplomas from
the IATA Training and Development Institute in Civil Aviation
Management (2003) and Airport Management (2007).
Ms. Sosina has over the course of her career, received training
in general management, air transport economics, aviation law,
airport, airline and air navigation management.
She is a past member of both the International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) Facilitation Panel (FALP) and the TAG/
MRTD and of several other International and Regional
Committees and Working Groups.
Ms. Sosina is a recipient of the Merit Award – State House
(1984) and Merit Award – Federal Ministry of Aviation (1996)
RESUME OF
IYABO O.
SOSINA (Ms)
Secretary General of the African
Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC)

Despite operating in a suppressed economic environment, African Aviation continues
to show signs of progress and stability. Most airlines are maintaining a relative positive
balance sheet with others recording, not so impressive figures. The most impressive
figureshowever,arethosethatarebeingreportedonthesafetyofAfricanairlinesandthe
improvedsafetyoversightbythedifferentauthorities.
One key aspect that has been a catalyst for this stability and growth is the
modernisation of equipment and infrastructure. Recently Air Senegal ordered
two Airbus A320neo (new engine option) , in November Ethiopian Airlines took
delivery of their second Boeing 787-900 , Egypt Air took delivery of their 8th
Boeing 737-800 , RwandAir flies the youngest fleet in Africa and during the
recently held ACI Africa Summit in Mauritius Air Mauritius took delivery of an
Airbus A350-900. All of these deliveries highlight the progress and investment
being put by African airlines into fleet development and modernisation.
According to Boeing, Africa is set to have a 112% increase in the number of
aircraft to 1 460 in service in the next 20 years. This drive will be influenced by
theneedtoreplaceagedfleetandgrowthincommercialservice.Ofthisaircraft
demand forecast, about 70,43% of aircraft will be single aisle aircraft, 21.87%
small wide body aircraft, 5,22% medium wide bodied aircraft and 3,43% will
be regional jets.
The United Nations Africa forecast that 187 million Africans will move to the city
withinthenext10years,this;togetherwithagrowinglabourforce,urbanisation
and implementation of new technologies will pave the way for a growth in the
e c o n o m i c sector triggering aviation development.
T h i s rapid urbanisation requires airports
infrastructurethatwillbeinapositionto
accommodate and complement
it. The Victoria Falls International
Airport is one such example.
Once the modern facility is
there, traffic tends to grow and
demand to that destination
grows exponentially. Currently
the Victoria Falls International
Airport records a month on
month growth of 21%, which
is a huge growth percentage.
Such growth patterns are key
pointers in justifying funding for
future airports development.
The West African
country of Senegal
has every reason
to be optimistic
about its aviation
future with the
opening of the
U$575 million
Blaise Diagne
International
Airport in
December
2017. The
airport will
have initial
capacity for
three million passengers per year, rising to 10 million per year, making it one
of the highest-capacity airports in Africa. The new facility’s increased size can
accommodate larger aircraft in class of the Airbus A380 and will handle much
more air traffic.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe is mindful of these developments and
forecast in the aviation industry, hence the ongoing infrastructure development
plan. As part of the CAAZ ongoing Airports Modernising Programme, R.G
Mugabe International Airport will undergo a massive upgrading exercise that
will put it in league with top global airports and ensure that Zimbabwe claims its
rightful position as an aviation hub in Africa.
The upgrading programme will increase the capacity of the airport from 2,5
million passengers per annum to 6 million passengers per annum. Different
modern features and amenities will be introduced which are set to make the
airport experience for the passenger truly world-class and comfortable.
In moving forward, ways and means of making aviation more efficient and
accessible must be embraced. Ethiopian Airlines Chief executive officer,
TewoldeGebremariam,said“WhatIcannotfigureouttothisdayiswhyairlines
cannot fly from point A to point B in a straight line. This is a huge cost to every
airline as there is so much inefficiency”.
This and other practices must be reviewed and addressed to promote the
efficient use of civil aviation.
One measure that is currently under discussion is the introduction of the
common airspace. Currently airspace is defined from Nation to Nation and
pilots are handed over to various air traffic controllers when crossing borders.
This provides delays and inefficiencies as in most cases aircraft are asked to
increase or decrease their altitude or cruise speed as required by the different
Air traffic controls.
We have seen some countries implementing the “Open Skies Policy” to
relative success and witnessed by the increase number of both passengers
and aircraft. African States are urged to open up their skies and provide more
accesstodestinationsthatwerenotservedandgivepassengermoreoptions
in air travel.
Intra-Africa trade and tourism is shockingly low and the above mentioned
element is a key impediment. Recently we have seen countries like Ghana,
Rwanda,NigeriaandKenyaannouncingthatallAfricanscannowobtainavisa
attheportofentry.SuchinitiativespromotetourismandtradewithfellowAfrican
countriesasthevisabarrierhasbeenremoved.IurgeGovernmentstolookinto
thisissueasitholdsmorebenefitsthandisadvantages.ImaginehavingArikAir,
Royal Air Morc and Air Mauritius introducing a daily service to Victoria Falls as a
result of a revised visa regime.
All these are part of the forward thinking measures that we have to collectively
look into and introduce for the betterment of our economies and industry.
Aviation remains on a growing path and is employing more and more people
by the year. As this growth maintains its pattern, I urge all who are in aviation,
tourism and trade and commerce industries to work together and support
this growth. Collaborative efforts will ensure that we sustain this growth which
downstream benefits are guaranteed and propel the growth of the economy.
As we wind up 2017, I urge all to keep on working hard and always offer
service with a smile and ensure that our guest enjoy the warm hospitality that
we are known for.
Until then, Merry Christmas and I wish you all a prosperous 2018.
DavidChawota
CAAZGeneralManager/CEO
VIEW FROM THE
CONTROL TOWER

AVINEWS

In a 2008 report by the African Airlines Association (AFRAA), air
transport creates about 470,000 jobs across various sectors
and generates revenue of about USD1.7 billion in Africa.
African’s share of the Global aviation market stands at about
5%but the African aviation industry during the recent period of
world economic crisis, enjoyed a significant growth rate (5%-
7%) compared to other regions of the world. Most significant
is the volume of intra-African traffic which stood at roughly
30% of the total African air transport traffic.
The next question asked is how do we maintain and improve
on these figures? Not one answer can be pointed out but one
that stands out it’s the Common Airspace for Africa. Its main
advantages are to improve safety and gain air traffic control
efficiency and performance advantages.
Here is an update on how COMESA member states have
been working on achieving the common airspace.
Study Background
The current airspace organisation is principally based on
geographical boundaries and the division of airspace has been
dictated for years by national considerations. This impacts
more particularly long haul and mid haul flights which have
to cross several control units along their route and to adapt
successively to various quality of service levels which leads
to inefficiencies and potentially problems. The global forecast
foresees that the aviation industry in the African region will
be growing at above global average rates. The fleet of new
passenger and cargo aircraft is supposed to double by 2035.
The upper airspace of the 19 COMESA Member States
comprises 16 Flight Information Regions (FIRs) which
together represent an area of more than 25.9 million square
kilometres (i.e. more than 2, 5 times the European airspace)
with air navigation services being provided by 14 Area Control
Centres (ACCs).
The Institutional Context
The enhancement of transport infrastructure is a key goal
in the infrastructure development plans of Common Market
of East and Southern Africa (COMESA) and its regional
partners. In accordance the COMESA Treaty, the 19 Member
COMMON MARKET OF EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA
(COMESA) AIRSPACE INTEGRATION PROJECT
UPDATE:

States have an obligation to cooperate and develop common
policies and programmes, and specifically in matters related
to air transport and air navigation as reflected in Article 87 of
the treaty.
Implementation of airspace harmonization is essential in order
to ensure a seamless and sustainable development of the
air transport system within the Region, thus resulting in high
safety and security levels among all aviation stakeholders.
The COMESA Airspace Integration Project was initiated in
2011, financed by the African Development Bank. A Project
Steering Committee of seven states was set up comprising
Egypt, Kenya, Madagascar Rwanda, Sudan, Zambia and
Zimbabwe and was mandated with exploring the sustainability
of establishing COMESA Airspace Integration Project.

The Way Forward
The study recommended that the COMESA Seamless Upper
Airspace (CSUA) be implemented as three consecutives
Phases:
• Phase 1: Establishment of Seamless Upper Airspace
with existing FIRs in accordance with the ICAO Global
Air Navigation Plan
• Phase 2: Establishment of Sub-Regional Clusters
• Phase 3: Integration of the Airspace
The Directors of Civil Aviation and Senior Military Officials in the
Kigali (Rwanda) meeting of 27 to 28 June 2017 adopted the
Final Report on the Technical and Financial Feasibility Study.
The 10th meeting of the Ministers of Transport and
Infrastructure, held in Lusaka Zambia from the 3-4 October
2017 adopted the implementation of COMESA Airspace
Integration Project with a recommendation for a further study.
AirTraffic ControlTower atVictoria Falls International Airport

2 3
1

4
8
7
1. UNDERTHE RAINBOW... A RwandAir B737-800 prepares to board passengers from it’s second hub in west
Africa @rwandair
2. PERFECTTIMING ... Rare imagery of two Norwegian B787 800 paineairport.com
3. NOSEY PLANE .. . Selfie of B787-900 before an evening service
4. CARGO MATTERS ... A QatarAirways B777-200 taxis off with another cargo haul.@qatar
5. SUNSET BEAUTY ... An EmiratesA380 takes off with a perfect sunset view @emirates
6. DONE FORTHE DAY ... An airbusA321 retires on the apron after an altitudinal day
7. CLOUD NINE ... Red clouds curtain smooth landing @melbryne
8. TOWER CONTROL ...All clear to climb up to 28000ft @lufthansa
5 6

1. Aviation in Africa and Zimbabwe is on
an upward trend, where do you see it in the next
five years?
Emerging markets in the world of aviation shows that growth,
according to ICAO world traffic forecasts, is anticipated in
India, Turkey, China and Africa. For Africa the main drivers are
growth in tourism, greater market liberalisation (implementation
of open skies policies), increased population living in the
diaspora, students studying in foreign lands etc.
Zimbabwe is set to experience growth in aviation due to
the above factors and current efforts by the government to
increase airports infrastructure capacity complimented by
an aggressive implementation of the open skies policy. The
opening up of the domestic and regional routes to both
local and foreign airlines will see marked increase in aviation
activities in Zimbabwe as the country
recently saw new airlines e.g. fastjet
Zimbabwe and FlyAfricaClub
commencing scheduled flights.
I also see Zimbabwe in the
top 5 ICAO compliant
States in Africa due to the
current strategies to drive
compliance status for aviation
safety and security standards
to better than 85% by 2018
and beyond. The Civil Aviation
Authority of Zimbabwe has already
developed partnerships
both domestic and
i n t e r n a t i o n a l
o r g a n i s a t i o n s
to ensure
c o m p l i a n c e
with ICAO
Standards and
Recommended Practises.
2. The Low Cost Carrier wave seem to have
gathered pace, but not without any start-ups
going burst. In your view what is the biggest
challenge faced by LCC’s in Zimbabwe and
Africa?
The biggest challenge is sustaining operations in a price
sensitive and high cost business environment. Although the
LCC business model aims at reducing operating costs there
are fixed costs e.g. fuel, maintenance and labour which often
threaten viability especially at the start up stage.
3. There has been plenty of talk about the much
revered AOC, what does it entail and how does
one obtain one?
A prospective applicant for an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) is
required to first register the company in Zimbabwe and get an Air
Service Permit from the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
Development. The applicant will then formally apply to the Civil
Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe for an AOC and go through
a 5 phase air operator certification process. The certification
process takes a minimum of three months and the applicant
will be expected to demonstrate capacity to run an airline in
terms of financial resources, qualified human resources, aircraft
operations and adequate maintenance arrangements.
4. In 2016 Africa recorded zero passenger
fatalities and zero jet hull losses. What do you
attribute to this remarkable achievement?
The positive outcome is mainly due to increased awareness
of safety responsibilities by all aviation stakeholders and a
collaborative approach to compliance with safety and security
regulations. Governments have also played a central role by
showing increased commitment and support for compliance to
international standards for safety and security.
5. How far have we gone on the drone regulations?
How do they affect drone operators?
The drone regulations are going through the final stages for
promulgation and we expect them to be gazetted by end of first
quarter 2018. The regulations have a key role in establishing
a level playing field to ensure that all drone operations are
standardized and conducted in a safe and secure manner.
Five Fivein
CAAZ Director of Flight Safety Standards James Danga, shares his views on the
emerging trends in aviation, LCC’s and Africa’s fast improving safety record.

2017 CUSTOMER SERVICE WEEK CELEBRATIONS
During the annual Customer Services Week
celebrations, the Civil Aviation Authority of
Zimbabwe embarked on a clean-up campaign
of the residential suburb of Breaside and the
Sorting Office roundabout along airport road and
Glenara Road. As part of the week’s activities
the CAAZ visited Kentucky Prison and donated
some groceries and flip flops for the inmates at
a time when the International Inmates week
was being celebrated. CAAZ’s CSR actives are
hinged on supporting and investing in education.
The CSW2017 was closed off by donations to
St Maslin Children’s Home which runs a school
and a home for the orphaned children. An official
event was held were various Customer Service
Champions were honoured and received awrds
for the sterling and exemplary customer service
which they offered throughout the year.
St Maslin Children’s Home, Kentucky Prison
and Airport road engaged as Corporate
Social Responsibility Projects during Customer
Services Week.

N.N: Hello, thank you for giving us time to talk to you. If you
could please start off by introducing yourself?
M.M: I am Mavis Musakasa currently serving as an Airworthiness
Inspector with the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe.
N.N: How did you get to be an Airworthiness inspector, is it
something you have always wanted to be or you hopped and
landed here?
M.M: Well, not really that I dreamt to be Airworthiness Inspector
from the beginning but what I can say is that I had a mechanical
inclination, just that strong passion for technical things. One
day I saw an advert in the newspaper from the Airforce. It read
“How about joining a challenging and rewarding career…”.
This prompted me to join the Airforce of Zimbabwe where I
went through a rigorous selection and military training before
embarking on my technical training as (Aircraft Maintenance
Engineer) for a four year duration. I served for several years
in the Airforce and after getting tired of spanners that’s when I
made a decision to explore for further opportunities within the
area of my qualification. I got an opportunity to be employed
as an Airside Safety officer formerly Ramp Safety with CAAZ
and later joined the Airworthiness section where vacancies
had arisen.
N.N: Tell us about your early years in the aviation industry?
I entered the aviation world in 1998 and as mentioned before
trained with the Airforce of Zimbabwe. I worked for various
squadrons on various types of aircraft and overhaul shops.
It was a great exposure there. I was the only female in my
class but I really enjoyed, the feeling of breaking barriers
was gratifying. We were indeed a very good team with my
colleagues. I later resigned from the force and joined the Civil
Aviation Authority where I worked as Senior Airside Safety
Inspector for two years .I loved my job but it didn’t quiet satisfy
me as I was not fully applying what I was qualified for so when
an opportunity arose within Flight Safety Airworthiness section
I didn’t wait as I knew this was the kind of job that was more
relevant to me. That’s how I came to be in Airworthiness.
N.N: Are you the only female airworthiness inspector in at
CAAZ and how does it feel considering that you are in a male
dominated industry?
M.M: Currently I am the only female in Airworthiness section,
but you know what, I don’t even register it unless you start to
mention about it. The whole of my career life I have been in a
male dominated environment and I don’t even register that in
my mind. I have told myself that I am part of them and there
should be no difference. You just have to be equal to task.
N.N: What are the challenges that you have faced as a female
in this career?
M.M: There are perceived challenges for women in such
careers but I wouldn’t really say I faced challenges because
I just took everything natural and lucky for me, I have worked
with very supportive teams.
INTERVIEW
BREAKING BARRIERS, A LADY’S
TOUCH IN AIR WORTHINESS
The Airworthiness performs a critical function in the
aviation sector. It is a role where attention to detail and
evaluation are of a critical nature. An Airworthiness
inspector it tasked with the role of inspecting an aircraft’s
airworthiness “it’s fitness to fly” referring to manuals,
guidelines and internationally agreed procedures.
Traditionally this job has been a domain of men who have
been at the helm of it all but it is changing with a new
wave of women in pink overalls bandanas and spanners.
Aviation Magazine’s Nunurai Ndawana caught up with
Mavis Musakasa an Airworthiness Inspector at RGM
International Airport to discuss what it takes to be an
airworthiness inspector and her experiences to date.

Aspiring women aviators also desire to be mothers and wives.
Nonetheless, women face complexity when attempting to
balance family and career aspirations. For example pregnancy
would partly stall the progress of a woman because of certain
restrictions/standards that would hinder them from doing
certain functions even if you feel fit. Nature has it and we just
have to work around it.
A failure on any level for a female in a male dominated world
is unforgiving and fuels the pre-conceived stereotype that
women are somehow not as good as their male counterparts.
So women need to work hard, if not harder than the man
sitting next to them in order to earn respect and forestall
unwarranted criticism in the event of a weak moment. There is
need for women to continue fighting.
N.N: What are the highs and lows in your profession?
M.M: Airworthiness is interesting and has given me unique
experiences and has diversified my knowledge.
As Inspectors, our responsibility is to ensure all safety
guidelines and standards are complied with for safe operation
of aircraft. It tears as our hearts if it becomes a hide and seek
game. Safety is everyone’s responsibility and therefore what
makes us happy is the cooperation by everyone involved in
aviation to uphold safety standards and ensure an incident
or accident free environment. Our job can also be physically
and emotionally challenging as we deal with aircraft accident
investigations.
N.N: What is the strength that keeps you going while on duty?
M.M: It’s just a fascinating field and I just look forward to
surprises each day.
N.N: Where does the drone wave put you as airworthiness
inspectors?
M.M: The aviation industry has been always dynamic. Ready
or not ready drones (also known as Remotely Piloted Aircraft
or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) are here and flying all over the
world. As Airworthiness we are used to the dynamics in the
industry and we have to keep pace with the technological
development. It’s a sector that is developing too fast. The
technology has matured rapidly and is playing an important
role in aviation as drones are being used for civil purposes
and therefore expected to increasingly influence our daily
lives just as the internet did hence the need to regulate drone
activities. Drones are being used in agriculture, construction,
maps/geophysical survey, mining, photography, parcel
delivery you name it. The top priority is maintaining safety for
manned aircraft and people on ground. Aviation regulations
have historically contemplated two types of regulations (i) the
manned passenger and cargo (ii) model aircraft for recreation.
In response to this new civil demand, States are developing
regulations to regulate the operations of drones and
Promulgation of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles regulations in
Zimbabwe is at an advanced stage and soon the registration
of all drones in the country will commence. The proposed
regulations define the technical and operational requirements
for UAVs including pilots qualification for certain categories.
The aviation industry is so dynamic and we can’t run away
from that. We just have to embrace such innovation though it
means a lot more standards to enforce.
N.N: Any words of advice that you would give to young girls
that would like to be Airworthiness inspector?
M.M: The number of women in aviation is growing steadily and
therefore young girls should be inspired and shatter that old
mindset that made aviation the business of male the species.
I challenge them that they can do it, the sky is the limit. There
should be systems to expose young girls to opportunities
in aviation and eliminate the perceived barriers so that they
are able to choose whatever they want to pursue in aviation.
Women and men are wired differently, like when growing up
boys prefer cars and girls prefer dolls .So there is need to give
them chance to refocus their minds.
I would say to young girls, go for your dreams, do what you
love, never feel scared to explore new horizons. Life will
always expand to meet your dreams.
‘Our responsibility is to ensure all safety
guidelines and standards are complied
with for safe operation of aircraft.’

P
roblems in the national economy of one of
the East African nations, Burundi, saw flight
frequencies reduced – Brussels Airlines
now only serves Bujumbura once a week
via Kigali – while other airlines threw in the
towel altogether like FlyDubai. The Dubai
based airline started with great fanfare but soon faced a hostile
Visa regime, high cost of Visa and political developments in
Burundi triggered a massive downturn in outbound travel due
to the collapse of the economy.
FlyDubai eventually pulled out of Burundi, leaving the
country’s air connections in the region up to Kenya Airways,
Ethiopian Airlines and RwandAir. Past assurances that Air
Burundi would be revived came to naught and Burundi now first
needs to put her house in order, politically and economically,
before airlines can again be tempted to take a fresh look at the
country and its passenger and cargo potential.
South Sudan, has not fared much better. While Entebbe
is connected with Juba daily through fifth freedom rights
arrangements with RwandAir plus an additional fifth freedom
flight by Ethiopian Airlines, flights of major foreign
airlines reduced rather than increased. The likes of Ethiopian,
Kenya Airways, FlyDubai and Egypt Air are pondering what to
do as ticket sales declined due to a lack of money, massive
devaluation of the South Sudanese currency, hyperinflation
and their inability to repatriate their sales proceeds – something
which four years ago ruined Kenya’s Jetlink with reportedly
2.5 million US Dollars stuck in Juba’s banks, unable to find its
way home to Nairobi.
Several privately incorporated airlines fly from Juba to some
of the more distant towns like Malakal, Wau, Rumbek and
others, where airstrip exist, to spare their passengers the
dangerous road journey across a countryside where robberies
and worse seem to be the order of the day.
Air accidents though are of major concern and as long as
regulatory oversight is weak will wannabe passengers have to
worry just a bit more than in the rest of Africa about their safe
arrival.
Enter Kenya, where national airline Kenya Airways has
seen turbulent times in the recent past, was forced to reduce
their fleet, streamline operations, cuts cost and which suffered
East Africa’s aviation scene last year and also in the early part of 2017 has
rarely been so diverse, so challenging and so confusing for uninformed onlookers
than is the case right now.
By Prof Dr Wolfgang H. Thome
Aviation | Tourism Consultant
Aviation prospects in east Africa for 2017
IS EAST AFRICA
RISING?

at the hand of militant unions ready to
cut off their noses to spite their faces.
While subsidiary Jambojet has been
making profits has Kenya Airways’ itself
operated at substantial losses over the
past several years. A new recovery plan called
‘Operation Pride’ was put into place last year
and has shown a marked upturn in fortunes again,
especially over the past few months. This gives rise
to hope that the airline will soon fly into less turbulent
financial territory again and full year financial results are
expected soon after the airlines financial year ended on
the 31st of March.
Kenya, being the country with the most vibrant
aviation sector in the East African region, also has
a number of privately owned airlines operating. They
mainly operate from Jomo Kenyatta International,
serving routes to Mombasa, Lamu, Malindi, Ukunda,
Eldoret and Kisumu alongside Kenya Airways
and Jambojet but most of them operate from
the second major airport in the Kenyan capital,
Wilson Airport. Among those are Fly540, FlySax and
African Express among others while attempts to launch
Fastjet in Kenya have come to naught at this stage.
It is from Wilson Airport, said to be Africa’s busiest, that
literally all safari parks can be reached with scheduled
flights every day or several times a week. Competition is
intense among the Wilson based operators but none of
them, thankfully, is showing signs of financial instability. To
the contrary are the main players like Safarilink, Air Kenya
and others adding new or preowned aircraft to serve more
routes, notably to airfields across Kenya which don’t even
have the status as fully fledged airports or aerodromes.
Kitale, a town at the foot of Mt. Elgon in North Western
Kenya is worth mentioning to where Safarilink late last
year launched a daily service as is Kakamega in Western
Kenya, served by FLY540.
It does not come as a surprise therefore that Nairobi’s
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is also East Africa’s
largest aviation hub and host to airlines from around the
world which fly to Nairobi as their primary entry point to
Africa. All the main Gulf airlines, Qatar Airways, Etihad,
Emirates but also Air Arabia from Sharjah and Oman Air

from Muscat, besides Saudi Arabian and Turkish Airlines
are flying daily or double daily to Nairobi while most of the
European airlines too are calling on Nairobi, either daily or
several times a week. Among those are KLM/Air France,
British Airways, Lufthansa, Swiss and Alitalia.
Aviation infrastructure development in Kenya has of
late shown results with Nairobi’s main airport now largely
decongested and able to handle more passengers. A brand
new terminal for Kenya Airways and their partner airlines and
existing terminal refurbishments have lifted JKIA’s capacity
towards the 10+ million mark, considering an additional pre-
fabricated arrival and departure terminal was also opened
early last year. All missing now is a second runway for East
Africa’s main aviation hub, which is long overdue and could
prove to be a serious impediment for future growth if not
resolved on the double.
Moving across Kenya’s southern border to Tanzania,
there is a major story to tell about aviation.
While a number of locally registered airlines like Coastal
Aviation – East Africa’s largest air charter company with the
most registered aircraft – Auric Air and ZanAir operate out
of Dar es Salaam, Arusha or Mwanza to such places like
Zanzibar, the Tanzanian national parks and secondary and
tertiary airfields across the country – Auric for instance serves
some 30 destinations with scheduled and non-scheduled
flights – is it probably the kinds of fastjet and Precision Air
which get the most attention.
Both of these airlines have been operating in Tanzania
on domestic routes and in addition does fastjet link Dar es
Salaam to Lusaka, Harare and Johannesburg but no longer
Nairobi and Entebbe. The airline, as part of a sustained cost
cutting exercise, in December 2016 halted their flights to
Kenya and Uganda. Both of these airlines have been writing
red balance sheets for some time now and it is anyone’s
guess when they will turn the tables following the most
recent aviation developments in Tanzania. Despite of such
challenges has Precision Air very recently announced the
resumption of flights from Dar es Salaam to Entebbe with
some flights routing via Kilimanjaro after fastjet vacated the
route in early December of last year.
After years of limping along and more often than not being
on the ground rather than in the air, has Air Tanzania, the
national airline of Tanzania, suddenly seen their fortunes
change. A change of management and a complete overhaul
of the Board of Directors under the government of President
Magufuli has arguably cut the deadwood with a number of
past managers facing court cases over alleged corruption

and sheer incompetence.
Tanzania over the past nine months has staggering half a
billion US Dollars on three aircraft order, not second hand, not
leased and not procured through notorious middlemen but
bought outright from the manufacturers.
An initial order worth 68 million US Dollars saw two
Bombardier Q400NG turboprop aircraft arrive in September
which allowed Air Tanzania to resume operations on a number
of domestic routes. At the end of November then did the
Tanzanian government spend a further 200 million US Dollars
to pay for another Q400NG due for delivery during the first
half of 2017 while at the same time ordering two state of the
art Bombardier CS300 jet aircraft, the most modern single
aisle plane presently flying in the skies. These two aircraft
will join the Air Tanzania fleet under an accelerated delivery
programme probably as early as late 2017.
To top it has Tanzania then in early December announced
a deal with Boeing for a B787-8 Dreamliner after paying a
commitment fee of 10 million US Dollars for delivery in the
second half of 2018, the deal worth some 230 million US
Dollars overall. All new aircraft are ‘owned’ by a separate
parastatal body, not Air Tanzania directly, ostensibly to
avoid auctioneers trying to use their regular tactics to
collect historical debts from the carrier. And in a very recent
development was it learned that Air Tanzania is in talks with
Bombardier to offload their aged Q300 aircraft in exchange
for yet another brand new Q400NextGen, due to take place
over the next few months.
The opening of a completely new international arrivals and
departures terminal at Julius Nyerere International Airport in
late 2017 or early 2018 (there have been significant delays
attributed to a shortage of fund), finally bringing Dar es Salaam
into the 21st aviation century with a state of the art facility. At
the same time are works going in at Kilimanjaro International
and Mwanza to bring other important airports across the
country in line with airlines’ needs, after Mbeya’s new airport
was commissioned just over two years ago. Mtwara, the ‘gas
capital’ of Tanzania, will also see its airport modernized to
allow for the use of jets rather than turboprops, when the
runway has been extended and the terminal buildings been
spruced up.
Rwanda, where aviation has made giant leaps over the
past years. RwandAir, the national airline, now operates a fleet
of already 11 aircraft with a twelfth, another B737-800NG
having joined in May. Two Bombardier Q400NG aircraft are
operating alongside two Bombardier CRJ900NG’s, two

Boeing B737-700NG’s and now three Boeing B787-800NG’s
of which the latest delivery offers inflight WiFi connectivity.
This is another first on the African continent that a single aisle
plane comes with this added service to keep passengers on
board connected through their smart phones once reaching
cruising altitude. All single aisle aircraft on the fleet offer a dual
class cabin layout with Business Class and Economy Class
on every flight, a service much appreciated by frequent flyers.
The most impressive fleet additions in 2016 however were
two Airbus A330 wide body aircraft, one -200 and one -300
variant, which set the stage for launching long haul flights for
the first time in the airline’s history. Again, both aircraft offer
inflight WiFi for passengers and are configured in a three class
layout with Business Class, a separate Premium Economy
Class cabin – the best in Africa - and the regular Economy
Class.
Mumbai was launched on the 3rd of April, London Gatwick
joined the network and already there is talk of adding New
York. Indications are that in conjunction with an FAA Category
One approved West African waypoint and confirmation was
received recently that RwandAir is already in close negotiations
with Airbus for the delivery of yet another wide body aircraft to
facilitate the launch of flights to the Big Apple
Further African destinations are on the drawing board too
for RwandAir after already covering Eastern Africa and West
Africa with a total of 7 each destinations. Harare launched on
the 01st of April 2017 while other new city pairs to Durban
and Conakry are planned for later this year. There is talk of link
Harare with Cape Town and this route has already generated
interest from tour operators from the two Sothern African
cities.
RwandAir is a rising star in the African skies with passenger
numbers for 2016 topping the 700.000 mark and rising to an
estimated million in the near future when both Airbus A330’s
are fully deployed on long haul routes.
RwandAir’s hub airport, Kigali International, has seen a
major expansion and modernization taking place over the
past years and while still compact offers much greater comfort
to in particular transit passengers. RwandAir is planned to
open a new premium passenger lounge in 2017, besides
the existing Pearl Lounge which is operated under an airport
concession and all spaces for commercial use for duty free
shops and cafes haven now been occupied. But, again, the
vision of Rwanda is going way beyond what has already been
accomplished.
A brand new airport is being constructed at Bugesera
some 20 kilometres outside Kigali, under a unique BOOT
project approach, whereby a Portuguese airport development
and management company has to source the funds for
construction of phase 1 and phase 2 of the new facility, overall
worth in excess of 800 million US Dollars. The company will
then own and operate the facility for an initial 25 years with a
guaranteed extension by a further 15 years, before transferring
the airport to the ownership of the Rwandan government.
Rwandan government replaced CEO John Mirenge – who
also happened to be the current President of AFRAA – and
installed an Acting CEO, Col. Chance Ndangano besides
other changes in key positions. Girma Wake, Chairman of
the RwandAir Board of Directors and former CEO of Ethiopian

Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome, after a career in East Africa’s tourism industry spanning
over four decades, today describes himself as an aviation and travel journalist, having
turned his passion into a new profession.
With a background in tour and safari, but also hotel and air operations, he is uniquely
qualified to cover the topics of his choice, for global market leader eTurboNews Inc. and
of course through his widely read and regularly quoted blog ATC News.
Wolfgang reports on aviation, hospitality developments, all matters tourism and
conservation, and his blog today is the largest of its kind in the wider Eastern African
region. He regularly speaks at aviation and tourism conferences and has successfully
moderated many panel discussions on topical issues covering the aviation, hospitality
and tourism sectors.
During his past career he served in key positions in sector associations, both in Kenya
and his adopted home country Uganda, where he held the post of president of the
Uganda Tourism Association for nearly 8 years after helping to rebuild Uganda’s trade
association framework from scratch after the end of the liberation war. During that time
he also served as chairman of Uganda’s national Hotel and Tourism Training Institute in
Jinja.
Keen on conservation issues, he served as chairman of the Rhino Fund Uganda during
the crucial years of fundraising, establishing the Ziwa Rhino Sanctuary and launching
the breeding programme aimed at returning rhinos to Uganda’s wild.
Airlines, remains in place and first indications are that there
will be no change in operational plans to roll out the additional
new destinations, leaving the sudden change at the helm a
bit of a mystery.
Finally my own country, Uganda. The demise of Air Uganda,
after serving the country for seven years, is still fresh in many
people’s mind, was caused by incompetent regulators unlike
Uganda Airlines which was liquidated in the early 1990’s and
then followed by the likes of AJAS, Africa One, East African
and Victoria International, all of which failed commercially and
had to throw in the towel.
In the face of regional competition by Ethiopian Airlines,
serving Entebbe three times a day, Kenya Airways serving
Entebbe five times a day, RwandAir serving Entebbe four
times a day and soon a return of Precision Air, will a revival of
a Ugandan airline be an uphill struggle ?
A new Ugandan airline will not just face opponents from the
region but also the global giants like Emirates, Qatar Airways
and Etihad, Turkish Airlines and even Egypt Air, Europe’s
Brussels Airlines and KLM all of which operate state of the
art fleets and have an established client base. Brand loyalty,
underscored by frequent flyer benefits, can in this day and
age not be underestimated apart from all of the competition
being ready to take on another upstart by swiftly offering
special deals to retain their passengers and protect their
market share.
However, given the competition which has emerged around
Uganda, it may truly be the best option to forget about a
national airline, use the resources where the money is better
spent like education, health and infrastructure and have our
neighbours serve Entebbe through widened fifth freedom
deals, including tying in new long haul services like the ones’
planned by RwandAir.
2017 has been an exciting year for aviation as the ‘new’
Air Tanzania spreads its wings again, RwandAir became an
intercontinental airline for the first time in its history, a stabilized
Kenya Airways flies into calmer financial skies and of course
an Ethiopian Airlines on the prowl which can fit easily into
the big league of global carriers, through its network, fleet
composition and most important the constant profits Ethiopian
has been generating over the years.
Yet, given the percentages shown of traffic carried by
foreign airlines, it is today more important than ever before
that Africa cooperates more closely. The Yamoussoukro
Agreement, is far from being implemented and African airlines
today often still have greater problems to securing landing
and traffic rights, especially fifth freedom rights, which African
governments however often literally throw at foreign carriers.
Regional aviation accords, like under COMESA and the East
African Community, are often equally ignored when it comes
to even flying to one’s neighbouring country.
Protection from competition among African airlines is
definitely misplaced when no such protection is offered against
the global giants carving out not just niches from the African
market but for all intent and purpose debone the aviation meat
to leave the continent with but an aviation skeleton instead of
a healthy aviation industry.

Fly Africa Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd is a 100% locally owned entity whose head offices are based in Harare Zimbabwe at the
Robert Mugabe International Airport. Fly Africa Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd is under new management and attained its Air
Operator’s Certificate on 25 April 2017.
As a low cost airline which is locally owned, Fly Africa Zimbabwe will showcase and exhibit the beautiful diverse
Zimbabwean culture in the skies.The culture is rooted from the diversity of ground staff and cabin crew most of which are
very knowledgeable in local and some regional languages and culture.
ROUTES
Fly Africa Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd began servicing the Harare- Victoria Falls route in June 2017. It flies 3 times in a week to
Harare-Victoria Falls with specials and promotional prices starting as low as $60. Fly Africa will be looking to introducing
new routes Bulawayo, Buffalo Range, Johannesburg, Cape Town and Lusaka .
Fly Africa Zimbabwe (Pvt) Ltd is very proud to be introducing cargo services.
Contact us on: 575729
Beep us and we call you back 0773 370 127/ 0773 585 854 0783 383 220
Fly Africa Offices can be found at;
Meikles Hotel Complex.
Borrowdale Village Walk First Floor
R.G Mugabe International Airport
New Domestic Terminal Robert Mugabe International Airport
Victoria Falls Airport
Joshua Nkomo Airport Bulawayo

By Markus Korhonen
F
or frustrated South African taxpayers, the
country’s struggling and poorly managed
national airline seems a bottomless pit.
Markus Korhonen calculated the hypothetical
price tag of a more profitable airline.
No doubt employing hyperbole, the head of
Business Leadership South Africa emphasised the billions
South Africa’s government has spent propping up the
national airline with a striking comparison.
“We have spent R50 billion on South African Airways since
1999. If we had not done that‚ we would have bought
Emirates Airlines,” Bonang Mohale was reported as saying.
R50 billion is certainly a big amount, but how does it compare
to the price tag of one of the world’s biggest airlines?
To put the sum in question into context, it is worth considering
just how much R50 billion really is. Were you to earn one
rand every second of the day, you would receive a very
generous salary of R86,400 per day or just over R2.5 million
per month. Even at this rate, it would take you 31.7 years to
earn your first billion rand. To get to R50 billion would take
you almost 1,600 years.
To put it another way, to have R50 billion now, you would
have had to start earning this salary around the time of the
very first Iron Age settlements at Great Zimbabwe. It is, in
short, a lot of money.
R29.1 billion, not R50 billion
Alas, it seems that Mohale’s claim of money spent does not
quite stand up to scrutiny.
Both the South African Airways (SAA) 2015/2016 annual
report and the South African treasury 2016/2017 annual
FOR ALL THE
BILLIONS,
ANALYSIS
SA AIRWAYS BAILOUT MONEY
NOT ENOUGH TO BUY EMIRATES

report identify a total of R19.1 billion of “government
guarantees” made available the airline to date.
A government guarantee is basically a loan, which the
government commits to paying back should the recipient
of the loan default. Government guarantees, or bailouts,
for SAA have been steadily increasing in both size and
frequency.
Up to 2012, the largest guarantee allocated to SAA was
R1.6 billion, with further payments of R5 billion, R6.5 billion
and R4.7 billion made between 2013 and 2016. An extra
R10 billion has been allocated to the airline this year, which
will take the total commitment to R29.1 billion.
This, of course, is still a significant sum: earning your rand-a-
second salary, you would still have to hang around for 920
years to accumulate this amount.
Wholly owned by government of Dubai
But would R29 billion (or even R50 billion) be enough to buy
Emirates?
The airline was established in 1985 and currently has a
fleet of 259 planes. It is wholly owned by the government
of Dubai through the state’s holding company, Investment
Corporation of Dubai.
Consequently, there is no readily available market value
(number of shares outstanding multiplied by the value of
the share). Thus, determining the value of a privately-owned
company has to involve some guesswork.
What a hypothetical buyer would be willing to pay for a
company would be determined by a number of factors,
such as the physical assets the company owns, the debt
liabilities it has, its profitability and future earning potential
and the value of the brand. Less easily quantifiable qualities,
According to market values
provided by Forbes, R50
billion ($3.52 billion)
would have sufficed to buy
Aeroflot-Russian Airlines
(valued at $3.2 billion).
Even the more modest
sum of R29.1 billion ($2.04
billion) would have allowed
South Africa to purchase
Turkish Airlines, currently
going for $2 billion.

such as existing and potential challenges in the industry, or
the value of employees’ skillsets may also be considered.
Fortunately, Emirates is very transparent in reporting on its
financial performance. The company publishes detailed
results of its finances in its annual reports, with copies dating
back to the 1993/1994 financial year freely available online.
From these, we can begin to piece together the amounts we
would be dealing with should Emirates be put up for sale.
29 consecutive years of profit
Emirates’ 2016/2017 annual report very quickly shows that
Mohale’s R50 billion, as enormous a sum as it is, would not
go very far.
It would not come close to covering the value of the assets the
airline holds (R454 billion). It would not even cover last year’s
fuel bill (R78.5 billion). The Emirates brand alone is calculated
to be worth around R105 billion.
R50b would just about cover last year’s employee costs at
Emirates (R48 billion), so South Africa could have bought the
airline’s staff. For one year.
But as noted, we now know that Mohale’s R50 billion estimate
was out by quite some way. The more accurate figure of R29.1
billion would cover fewer than a tenth of Emirates Airlines’ total
operating costs for 2016/2017.
In January 2015, the founding CEO of the airline, Sir Maurice
Flanagan, estimated that Emirates could be worth about R556
billion if it went public. Since that estimate, Emirates has had
a further two profitable years, which could well imply that a
new valuation would have the price tag even higher. (Note:
Emirates has had 29 consecutive years of profit to date.)
Within reach: Turkish Airlines
While Emirates is clearly off the shopping list, the money spent
on SAA bailouts would have been enough to buy some other
airlines.
According to market values provided by Forbes, R50 billion
($3.52 billion) would have sufficed to buy Aeroflot-Russian
Airlines (valued at $3.2 billion). Even the more modest sum of
R29.1 billion ($2.04 billion) would have allowed South Africa to
purchase Turkish Airlines, currently going for $2 billion.
Indeed, it might have been wise to do so as, unlike SAA, both
airlines have been predominantly profitable over the past five
years.
But it might be just as well that South Africa cannot buy
Emirates. At no cost to the South African taxpayer, the
Emirates Group was estimated, through “direct, indirect, and
induced economic value-add”, to have contributed R4.5 billion
to South Africa’s GDP in 2014/2015 and to have supported
almost 13,000 jobs.
While SAA similarly boasted of supporting 34,000 jobs
locally and contributing R9.2 billion to the economy in 2013,
these figures are somewhat muted by the not insignificant
contributions made by the taxpayer to keeping SAA afloat.
Markus Korhonen is a lecturer in political studies specialising in Global Political Economy. He is currently teaching at Stellenbosch
University and has also lectured at the University of CapeTown and at the Accra campus ofWebster University. africacheck.org

Z
imbabwe and Mozambique
are divided by the scenic and
mountainous Eastern Highlands
region. The two Southern African
countries have deep historical ties that
date back to the colonial era when
both were fighting for independence.
These ties extend to robust economic
relations which are characterized
by an oil pipeline from Mozambique
to Zimbabwe. The Feruka Pipeline
provides fuel to the landlocked country
powering its economy. On the leisure
perspective many Zimbabweans are
known to travel to sea side resorts like
Vilanculos for leisure and weddings.
The Mozambicans on the other hand
travel to Harare and Victoria Falls for
holiday and leisure.
Air transport that provided the
smooth flow of people and cargo was
restricted to the national carriers of
countries. This provision in the Bilateral
Air Service Agreement only permitted
Air Zimbabwe and LAM to fly between
these two nations, a situation viewed
by many as a move that suppressed
growth and hindered the development
of various sector.
Earlier this year representatives from
Zimbabwe and Mozambique met
in Harare to review the BASA and
design it in a way that is in line with
the current and future demand and
developments. A Bilateral Air Service
Agreements, commonly referred to as
“BASAs”, are treaties signed between
two States to facilitate international
commercial air transport services
between their territories. The ultimate
purpose is to promote air connectivity
between the two States so as to
facilitate the movement of people and
goods. These agreements provide
the framework under which airlines
operate air services between the party
States.
BASAs have their roots from the
1944 Chicago Convention, where
various articles that govern aviation
were discussed and agreed. For an
example Article 1 of the Convention
recognizes that every State has
complete and exclusive sovereignty
over the airspace above its territory.
Article 3 (c) then prohibits an aircraft
of a Contracting State from flying over
or landing in the territory of another
State without authorization by special
agreement or otherwise. This therefore
necessitates the establishment of
BASAs between Contracting States.
Bilateral Agreements are however
not the only guiding framework that
in place. For African countries the
Yamoussoukro Declaration come to
mind, were in 1999 African states
met in the Ivorian resort to agree on a
work frame to promote aviation. The
YD calls for liberation of the African
Airspace with an aim of creating a
Single African Air Transport Market
Zimbabwe and Mozambique
REVIEW BASA

commonly referred to as (SAATM).
Zimbabwe is signatory to all of the
above and the recently signed BASA
with Mozambique is set to change
the aviation service between the two
countries. New provisions in the BASA
now allow for the entry of other players
to serve the various destinations,
airlines can now determine the capacity
they provide and airfares charged
based on commercial considerations
in the market place.
These new changes are expected
to motivate new players to enter into
the market. A more liberal air services
framework will allows participation
of private players in the provision of
air services between Zimbabwe and
Mozambique both of which in recent
years have seen an increase in the
number of private airlines entering the
domestic air transport markets and
with prospects of expanding their
networks into the region.
Destination inaccessibility has been
cited as one of the key impediments
to the ease of doing business in Africa
and tourism growth. Liberalisation
of air transport markets is aimed at
enhancing connectivity thus improving
accessibility and hence bolstering
tourism and trade. A new player can
now directly link destinations like
Vilanculos and Victoria Falls providing
passengers total flexibility and
convenience. Entrance of new players
will no doubt promote competition
thereby airlines will improve their
service offering and fares are expected
to fall attracting new passengers in the
process.
Past studies have shown as strong
a positive correlation between wider
choice and lower prices, much to the
benefit of the travelling public, hence
the notion by LCC’s that they stimulate
new markets and demand. This new
market is attracted by the reduced
fares catchy marketing campaigns and
the flexible times of travel.
The liberal air services framework that
the two countries have put in place
and the rigorous destination marketing
by the respective tourism agencies is
expected to be a catalyst of a trade
and tourism boom between the two
countries.

Africa’s Low Cost
Airline: What’s Next?
Taking place alongside the Africa Hotel Investment Forum (AHIF),
the second edition of AviaDev Africa welcomed over 500
participants including RwandAir, Royal Air Maroc, Ethiopian Airlines,
start-up low cost airlines new to the industry namely jetWest and
Jet Afrique. During the event, AviaDev’s Jon Howell spoke with
fastjet’s Chief Commercial Officer Sylvain Bosc about the airline’s
future plans:
For more information about AviaDev, visit www.aviationdevelop.com
AVIADEV TOOK PLACE
10-12 OCTOBER 2017 AT
THE KIGALI CONVENTION
CENTRE AND RADISSON
BLU HOTEL

JH: There has been a huge change in almost everything
fastjet have done since Nico Bezuidenhout was appointed
CEO and implemented the Stabilisation Plan and the financials are
showing signs of recovery. Can you outline your fleet and network
expansion plans over the next twelve months?
SB: You’re absolutely right, the Stabilisation Plan saw us
leaving no stone unturned in the past few months in order to
bring the airline back to financial stability, which we are on track to
achieve by Q4 2017 as committed to our shareholders.
Over the next twelve months, we will prudently approach growth
in our “historical” markets, Tanzania and Zimbabwe. In Tanzania
we will deploy two Embraer E190 from October to offer more
frequencies at the right gauge on all our routes; in Zimbabwe,
we’re adding a second aircraft from July 31st and will be looking
at up-gauging if market response continues to be as good as
it is today. We will also investigate introducing more low-cost
domestic services on turboprop aircraft if we obtain the necessary
route rights.
In fact, there are many routes all over Africa that demand
turboprops (either because of short runways or short flight
time) to offer the lowest possible cost for everyone, which is a
fundamental principle in the fastjet value proposition. We are
currently looking at three new African countries in which we could
allocate a combination of jets and turboprops, mostly on domestic
services. We noticed that domestic traffic flows are much easier to
stimulate through low fares than international ones.
JH: fastjet has moved from 156 seater A319’s to Embraer E190
and ERJ145’s with lower seating capacities. Some would
argue you need a certain size of aircraft to make sufficient cost
savings to be a truly low-cost airline. How would you respond to
this?
SB: There is no denying that higher density aircraft reduces
unit cost. This is the simple maths of low-cost aviation. The
true low-cost model also requires high aircraft utilization; so high
utilisation with high seat density means a substantial number of
seats to sell, and that’s where it starts to challenge financial or
commercial viability. Very few African city pairs have got large
enough point-to-point traffic flows to sustain this type of seat
supply, and price elasticity (the amount of traffic you stimulate for
each price decrement) is not as high as the one we can count on
in Europe or the US for example. Therefore, applying the
“standard” low-cost model to Africa results in flying lots of empty
seats around… a situation which investors will not appreciate
very much!
We believe in a gradual approach to traffic flow building. We
can start routes on ERJ145s, with a relatively low utilisation in
the beginning (given the low ownership cost of these units)
and gradually increase frequencies as we manage to stimulate
the market through affordable prices and most of all regular,
dependable and on-time services. When we see that we have
generated enough traffic to sustain higher gauge we can then
move to bigger aircraft. One might argue that this strategy
doesn’t enable us to benefit from economies of scale through fleet
commonality, but we believe that a mismatch between supply and
demand eventually costs much more than the savings that can be
achieved through standardised fleet procurement.
JH: High levels of taxation, fuel prices, and airport charges
have always been pointed to as barriers to operational
success in Africa. Is this starting to change?
SB: It’s true that operating costs are sometimes staggeringly
high in Africa and even if we are seeing some positive
changes in this respect, it’s going to take a while before those
costs normalise. Yet those adverse conditions are the same for all
operators, so it doesn’t change the validity or efficacy of our
business model; it is surely challenging if at all possible, to offer
the same product and price that operators such as easyJet or
JetBlue propose in mature, competitive markets. But we are still
able to achieve significantly lower costs – and therefore fares –
and greater convenience than existing full-service African
competitors, and that’s what counts.
JH: Finally, how much difference would a liberalised air
transport market in Africa make to your business and do you
think this will ever become a reality?
SB: People have been talking about the liberalisation of air
transport in Africa for decades. There are two options. One
can either lament about its slow progress, to little effect, or, work
within current constraints and still achieve benefits for the
travelling public in those markets where a level playing field is
more or less in place. We’ve chosen the latter. Africa is a huge
continent with a vast mosaic of different situations and
circumstances in each of its markets; it will not liberalise at once
nor overnight and we’ve built this reality into our business
model already.
JOIN US AT AVIADEV IN 2018 FOR THE
OPPORTUNITY TO ADVANCE AFRICA’S
CONNECTIVITY.
www.aviationdevelop.com

By Lovejoy Chihanga
Drones in technological context are
unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)
whereas in military circles they are
referred to as remotely piloted aerial
systems (RPAS) which are essentially
flying robots and a number of companies
and individuals now own these aircraft
in Zimbabwe.
These unmanned aerial vehicles can
be remotely controlled and some are
flown through software controlled
flight paths.. On one hand drones
have been associated with military
operations initially for ‘gathering intel’,
surveillance, reconnaissance, listening
to mobile phone conversations and
controversially, some drones are
weaponised by superpowers like
America to target militants and terrorists
alike. While on the other hand, drones
are also extensively used for private and
commercial purposes.
Drones come in many shapes and
sizes with larger drones like the RQ-4
Global Hawk, MQ-1B Predator, MQ-9
and RQ-1 being used by the military
which they refer to as remotely piloted
aircraft (RPA). Some drones are even
launched by hand whereas some
require short runways. A drone is
made up of two parts being the drone
itself and the control system. They
have radar displays which show the
current position/location of the drone
in relation to the pilot and for some like
the DJI Phantom 2 Vision+ ; Should it
exceed the control range of the remote
control, the “Return to Home” function
will automatically be triggered and the
in Zimbabwe
DRONES
drone will automatically fly back to the
takeoff point and safely land.
On the brighter side drones are becoming
popular in civilian and business circles
for supporting law enforcement, they can
be used by the media to reach remote
areas, contribution to infrastructure
maintenance and management, even the
presidential input scheme and command
agriculture can be monitored as to how
effectively the inputs disbursed are
being used. In some countries drones
are conveniently being used for search
and rescue, global film industry, game
counting, geological surveys, traffic and
weather monitoring.
Ministry of Environment, Water and
Climate welcomed this development and
is having wildlife personnel trained by a
South African company on the use and
maintenance of drones to protect wildlife
endangered species like elephants and
rhinos and zero in on poaching rings.
From a privacy point of view drones are
being used by the paparazzi to obtain
images from locations once thought to

be private from prying eyes.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe
last year issued a public notice
encouraging the general public and
businesses alike to register their drones
with the Authority. CAAZ is both the
operator of airports and regulator of
airspace in Zimbabwe. The soon to be
gazetted drone regulations prescribe
the following:
• Report to CAAZ if there is a
drone related accident where
someone is injured or property
is damaged ;
• Avoid flying in prohibited or
controlled airspace,
• Keep a log book of all your
drone flights,
• Keep a record of any incidents/
accidents,
• Keep a fire extinguisher and first
aid kit,
• Fly a drone only when one has
a valid CAAZ authorisation,
• Do not fly a drone in bad
weather,
• Do not land on or take off from
a road,
• Do not fly along a road or within
30 metres of it,
(a) Do not fly adjacent to
or above a nuclear
power plant, prison,
police station, crime
scene, court of law,
national key point or
strategic installation.
• Do not deliver or drop off things
or carry dangerous goods,
• Do not use drugs within 8
hours
of flying a drone or while flying
it,
• Do not fly drones directly
overhead any person or group
of people or within a lateral
distance of 30 m from any
person,
• Do not operate within a lateral
distance of 30m from any
structure or building,
For more information contact www.
caaz.co.zw / 04 585073-80 / 0772
132 715-30

T
he new international Victoria
Falls Airport has played a
major role in the current
boom in tourist arrivals to
Zimbabwe’s top resort town,
with new airlines, new routes and
increased flight capacity from existing
carriers all contributing to the growing
momentum.
Ross Kennedy, Chief Executive of Africa
Albida Tourism, a leading Zimbabwean
hospitality group, said room
occupancies in Victoria Falls for the ten
months ended October 31, 2017 had
seen an increase of 18 per cent over
the same period in 2016. This equates
to nearly 29,000 additional rooms sold
over that period by ten hotels, which
together have 1,125 rooms available
per night and measure arrivals monthly.
The feedback in Victoria Falls shows that
this same trend is also evident across
the rest of the sector, which represents
a further 700 rooms available per night.
“The positive impact of these rising
numbers on the local economy and the
tourism sector is substantial, and very
welcome after many difficult years,” said
Kennedy.
According to Kennedy, new businesses
are opening across the industry in the
region, with new lodges, hotel rooms,
restaurants, bars and activities, all of
which combine to enhance the draw
of the destination, which is a hub for
Hwange, Matobo Hills, the rest of
Zimbabwe and the KAZA (Kavango
Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation
Area) region. KAZA, which is made
up of five Southern African countries,
boasts some of the most pristine and
diverse wildlife areas left on the planet.
With both Kasane and Livingstone
airports also having been recently
upgraded, the three airports can now
handle three million passengers per
year between them, and so make this
hub, the power house of the KAZA
region’s tourism growth.
The growth in international tourist arrivals
is expected to continue, with bookings
indicating at least a 10 per cent growth
New Victoria Falls International Airport Behind
Boom in Tourist Arrivals to the Destination
Ross Kennedy, Chief Executive of Africa AlbidaTourism

for the destination in 2018 compared
to 2017, while South African-based
travel operators are also reporting high
demand for the region for 2018 and
2019, Kennedy said.
“This reflects the confidence that the
international markets have in Victoria
Falls, Zimbabwe and the region”,
Kennedy said.
BA Comair is operating larger aircraft
on the Johannesburg/Victoria Falls
route, with a daily schedule operated
by a B737-800 aircraft, which
accommodates 162 passengers,
and, three additional flights per week
scheduled since July, using an aircraft
that accommodates 150 passengers.
South African Airways is operating an
Airbus A330-200 with 222 seats, which
is 88 seats more than their previous
aircraft capacity.
In addition, Victoria Falls has new
airlines servicing the destination, namely
Ethiopian Airways and Kenya Airways,
linking Victoria Falls to North and East
Africa. Both airlines have their own hubs
and networks for better connections
and packaging.
Kenya Airways fly on from Victoria Falls
to Cape Town, creating a much-needed
route linking the three iconic African
destinations of Cape Town, Victoria
Falls and Kilimanjaro.
The latest arrivals into Victoria Falls
Airport are SA Airlink, offering the Cape
Town to Victoria Falls route six days
a week, and Fastjet, which has now
added Johannesburg to Victoria Falls
three times a week to their schedule.
In the domestic air space, Air Zimbabwe
and Fastjet are now both operating 7
days a week on the Harare to Victoria
Falls route, which has been a boost for
domestic tourism.
Africa Albida Tourism is a Zimbabwe-
owned hospitality group which operates
a portfolio of properties in Victoria Falls,
including Victoria Falls Safari Lodge,
Victoria Falls Safari Club, Victoria
Falls Safari Suites, Lokuthula Lodges
(Victoria Falls), and Ngoma Safari Lodge
in Chobe, Botswana.
Victoria Falls International Airport from the runway
Traditional Dancers Welcome Ethiopian Airlines’ Inaugural Flight intoVictoria Falls International Airport On 26 March 2017

STANLEY AND LIVINGSTONE CLOSES FOR
RENOVATIONS
The iconic and exclusive Stanley and Livingstone
in the Nakavango Estate closed its doors for
refurbishment on the 12th of November 2017.
Opening dates are set for July 2018. Confirmed
bookings for this period are being upgraded to
Elephant Camp at no additional cost, while Ursula
camp and the Game Reserve remain open and
unaffected.
The reservations’ team at Wild Horizons who
currently hold the management contract for
the Stanley and Livingstone will get in touch
with all agents and guests whose bookings have
been affected by the hotel’s closure. Stanley
and Livingstone Safari Lodge will re-open as the
Stanley and Livingstone Boutique Hotel.
SKY WALK FOR NYANGA
The Skywalk should be the first port of call for
those who want to scale dizzy heights and witness
the divine view of the Mutarazi Falls which are
762m, making them the second highest waterfall
in Africa afterTugela Falls in South Africa.
The Mutarazi Fall has of late lost its glow due to
the absence of safe viewing points. The skywalk
and skyline will offer a special package that will
provide visitors with safe viewing points.The new
product is nicely tucked away in the scenic Honde
Valley in Manicaland.
MANA POOLS
Manapools is located in Mashonaland West
Province and falls under the ambit of the Hurungwe
Rural district Council. It is in the Middle Zambezi
Valley covering an area of 2 196square kilometres
extending from the Zambezi River in the north
to the escarpment in the south. The floodplain
alluvial terraces and channels of Mana Pools are
famous for their riverine woodlands dominated by
dark mahogany trees and the pale green acacia-
type ‘Winter Thorns’ which provide protein rich
‘apple-ring’ pods much favoured by wildlife.Drawn
by the abundance of water and the lush grazing
along the banks, the elephants, antelope, eland
impala, buffalo and zebra congregate for food and
water during the dry, hot season months with the
predators not far behind them.
Manapools is one of Zimbabwe’s four heritage
sites. The sanctuary is home to over 16 000
buffalos, more than 350 bird species and more
than 12 000 elephant- one of Zimbabwe’s largest
concentration. It’s rated the 5th best park in
Africa by Gateway magazine. It is a renowned
World Heritage site for its pure wilderness and
beauty (still has dinosaur spoors) ,Transformer
Conservation area (TCA), Important Bird Area
(IBA), Monitoring of Illegal Killing of Elephants
(MIKE) and Bio sphere reserve—one of the
worlds wildest and preserved natural ecological
areas.
AFRICA ALBIDA UPSCALES VULTURE EXPERINCE
Guests at the at one of the leading lodges in
Victoria Falls have previously viewed the vultures
in front of the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge during a
daily feeding experience.
Africa Albida is in the process of constructing of a
wooden deck and hide under the Makuwa Kuwa
restaurant in a bid to make the experience more
comfortable.The deck will be the discussion point
to explain to guests what vulture culture is, threats
and how it supports the species, before being led
don to the secluded hide to view the vultures.
Matepi poles for the walls and roof have been
used to construct the hide and terrace seating is
concreted into the hide for guests to sit on ensure
everyone has a view.
CRESTA CHURCHILL GOES UNDER
REFURBISHMENT
Cresta Hotels and the Catering Industry Pension
Fund have started work on a major refurbishment
of Cresta Churchill Hotel. It will result in the
renovation of all bathrooms and a new look for
the suites and bedrooms. It is hoped that the
first wing would be completed by April in time
for one of the busiest season of the year for all
Bulawayo hotels-the build up to and running of
the Zimbabwe International Trade Fair. When it’s
done, it will be a boutique style hotel.
SOMALISA CAMP OFFERS MORE
Somalisa Camp is set in the heart of Hwange
National Park Zimbabwe on an acacia island along
the edge of an ancient seasonal flood plain. It is
known as the lad of the giants for its big elephant
herds. It provides guests with breathtaking
views of the savannah plains across the famous
Kennedy Vlei line. Recently rebuilt, it consists of
seven elegantly furnished Sail Tents with gauze
sliding doors, a glass wood- burner fireplace for
the cold winter nights and a floor fan for the hot
summer days. Each tent has ensuit bathroom
facilities including flash toilet, indoor and outdoor
shower as well as a copper slippery-style bathtub.
The main decking area includes split level decking
with a separate lounge and dining area.The sitting
room and dining areas are tucked under a soaring
canopy of trees, with a clear view of the sprawling
vista ahead. Activities include guided walks, game
drives, night drives and bird watching. Wildlife
sighting include elephant, kudu, sable antelope,
zebra, wildebeest, gemsbok, buffalo, giraffe, lion,
leopard, rare and endangered roan antelope.

Eastern
Highlands:“There is nowhere more
beautiful in Africa”

Monica Cheru-Mpambawashe
“
Visit the Eastern Highlands,” invites Bob Nyabinde, Zimbabwe’s
jazz music icon is one of his songs as he talks opens up the vista of
the many and varied attractions of this lush area of Zimbabwe. He
talks of the physical attractions of the area as well as the unique
cultural highlights that include the food such as madhumbe (taro
plant) which in this country are only to be found there. In this article I will
take you around some of the highlights of the mountains- Kumakomoyo- in
local lingo.

Mutarazi Falls Skywalk for double joy
Two for the price of one. Adrenaline and nature at its
breathtaking best. That is the deal with Mutarazi Falls and the
recently installed skywalk. The Mutarazi Falls Zipline recently
opened in the Eastern Highlands is one of the highest in the
world. The skywalk is for the brave hearted and should not
be missing from the bucket list of any adrenaline junk worth
the label.
The Mutarazi Falls themselves with their 762m drop are
which the second highest waterfall in Africa, only bowing to
Tugela Falls in South Africa. Located in a pristine bush that is
totally untouched, the falls are a haven for true nature lovers.
Find romance at BridalVeil Waterfalls
Bridal Veil Falls is aptly if romantically named for its waters that
form the spread out veil of a bride as they tinkle down the
rocks. After a heavy rainy season such as that experienced
in 2016/17, the falls gather momentum and the veil seems
to be rippling in the wind. Absolutely spectacular.
The road to the falls is bumpy and requires a sturdy 4x4.
There are picnic facilities so one can stop and drink in
the beauty. There is not much wildlife to be seen but the
baboons will definitely show face in the hope of getting some
much appreciated treats.
Enjoy the best of both Leopard Rock Resort
Sometimes we all want the best of both worlds. Yes, it is
no crime to want to enjoy the gifts of nature while luxuriating
in the advantages of technological advances and human
innovation. There are many places in the Eastern Highlands
where one can have the best of everything.
The Leopard Rock Resort is a superb resort with all the
comfort and care that a visitor wants from top hotel. Just
outside the boundaries of the resort lies undisturbed nature.
But it is much more than a just beautifully appointed rooms,
conference and events venue, from which one can hear the

call of the wild. It is also a place one can use as a base to
enjoy the many attractions of the Eastern Highlands.
The golf course is world standard and the hotel does
not hesitate to claim bragging rights on their website:
“Spectacular views, a bracing climate and 18 challenging
holes on this Peter Matkovich-designed, championship-
rated course named one of Africa’s Top 10 by CNN Travel
(2013) make this one of the most spectacular golfing venues
you’ll ever play.”
If you value recommendations then Leopard Rock is right
up your alley. It has a very high seal of approval. “There is
nowhere more beautiful in Africa,” declared Britain’s Queen
Elizabeth then Queen Mother after a visit.
Be one of the beautiful people at Montclair Hotel & Casino
What is the point of going on holiday if one cannot throw
caution to the wind and live wildly, even if it is just for one
night?
Montclair Hotel and Casino have gained a reputation for
being the place to go for the high life in Eastern Highlands.
Every one needs a time to put on the glad rags and shine as
one of the beautiful people. The Montclair Hotel Casino is a
magnet for those who want to dice with Lady Luck.
From the comfort of the hotel one can sally forth to many
attractions including World’s View and Mount Inyangani
Mount Nyangani for more than a dash of mystery
Deep Nyanga National Park is, Mount Nyangani the highest
mountain in Zimbabwe. The majestic mountain is worth a
visit, if you like shivers running down your back. People have
ventured up the mountain only to disappear into the mist,
never to be seen again.
There are many explanations as to just what lies behind the
disapperances. There is talk of spirits spiriting off the their
chosen ones. More pragmatic explanations are that people
most probably get lost and wonder off into the dense forest
where they likely fall into some pits where no search party
can locate them.
If you do decide to brave the majestic 2,592 meter summit
you are duly advised to take some basic care which just may
save you from being listed among the missing. Do go with a
qualified guide. Do listen to instructions. Do stick to the set
routes. Do not wander off the path for any reason. Rather
use binoculars for close up views of any matter of interest.
The good news is that the disappearances are far and few
out of the thousands of visitors who throng the area each
year.
An ideal place for locals and foreigners
The Eastern Highlands is one of the places that is definitely
ideal for all classes of visitors. There is something that suits
every pocket and every lifestyle. As with all tourist destinations
in Zimbabwe, there are numerous places to acquire local art
and other platforms to aquaint oneself with the local cultural
heritage.
Do take up Bob Nyabinde’s invitation and visit the Eastern
Highlands. You will not regret it.
cherumz@gmail.com

It is important to think about what food you
should eat before flying as our bodies were
not designed to digest food while flying
through at such speeds. Knowing which
foods to eat before a flight will help your
body function normally and healthily so you
land in tip top condition.
To start your holiday right you can stock up
on some snacks before your flight which
experts say will give your body a much
needed boost.
Depending on the time of your flight, you
may choose to have a pre-flight meal at
the airport. Most airports offer an array
of choices. Opt for somewhere where you
can have a light meal consisting of plenty
of vegetables with salads, and some lean
protein. Avoid deep-fried and fatty foods
which are heavy on the digestive system,
and can cause heartburn and indigestion,
resulting in a very uncomfortable flight.
Always aim to arrive early at the airport
with plenty of time so that you can eat in
a relaxed environment. If you are running
late through departures, buy a sandwich or
a salad to eat leisurely on the plane.
The following are some of the highly
recommended foods to eat before any flight.
Water
The first rule is to stay hydrated. Before your
flight you can drink loads of water. Throw a
lemon slice or two in your cup—the citrus
contains antibacterial properties that can
alleviate sore throats. Watermelon is a good
fruit as it is rich in antioxidants, and it is also
full of water.
The biggest issue on long haul flights is
hydration. The humidity on planes is kept
below 20%. It’s good to drink something like
energy drinks before a flight to beef up your
electrolytes.
Herbal Tea
Whilst coffee is great and will perk you up
for a little bit, there is no doubt that caffeine
can dehydrate you and leave you feeling
tired. Instead of coffee why not try caffeine
free herbal tea which will surely keep you
hydrated through the flight and you can
choose any flavour you want.
Protein
Eat a protein packed meal before boarding.
Studies show that eating a high-protein
diet has a number of health benefits. Not
only does it help you maintain and lose
weight, but it also works to stabilize your
blood sugar levels, improve your ability to
learn and concentrate, boost your energy
levels, support your muscles and bones
and support the absorption of important
nutrients. You can get yourself a protein bar
for those time periods between meals or
unexpected flight delays. An easy to eat and
tasty protein bar is a great way to sustain
your energy levels and fight hunger.
Oats
If you want to get some sleep during your
flight then you should consider taking oats
or oatmeal before a long flight
Similarly, you should eat oats or oatmeal
before a long flight if you want to get
some sleep. Oats contain melatonin and
tryptophan, which both help you fall asleep.
Plus, they contain plenty of fibre and carbs,
helping to keep you full throughout your
flight.
Ginger
Ginger often quells the effects of travel
sickness. You can order meals with ginger
and if it is not available consider ginger
ale from the drinks menu as it is useful
in improving digestion and increasing
absorption of food. Drinking a cup of ginger
tea before boarding your flight can help
prevent the nausea and vomiting associated
with motion.
Oranges
Not only can this fruit withstand the trip to
the airport in a bag, but oranges are loaded
with Vitamin C to boost your immunity while
you fly through the air in what is basically
a petri dish of bacteria. Plus, oranges are
another source of hydration.
Magnesium-rich foods:
Dark, leafy greens should be a priority before
boarding, as well as nuts and seeds. These
magnesium-rich foods can help trigger
sleep and relieve muscle and tension. You
can order some fruits and vegetables to
avoid the dreaded “jet bloat.”
TIPS ON WHAT TO AVOID
Alcohol
Consuming alcohol before or during a flight
should be avoided, at least in excessive
amounts as it leads to dehydration which is
already a concern for most fliers given dry air
and salty meals on planes.
If having a drink is a must for you, counteract
the effect of the booze by consuming plenty
of water. It may be tempting to get alcohol
on air but the effect of alcohol intensifies
at a higher altitude, so you will become
intoxicated quite quickly. Alcohol can also
leave you feeling exhausted after sleeping,
which is not ideal if mixed with jet lag.
Carbonated Beverages
Carbonated beverages contribute to bloating
and cramping, two enemies of the long-haul
passenger. Again, we’re suggesting that you
avoid foods that impede digestion, cause
gas and potentially cause distress to you
and your fellow passengers.
Too Much Coffee
Don’t drink too much coffee—Excess
caffeine may cause nervousness and
possibly insomnia. Excess caffeine
stimulates gastric acid production, which
can cause heartburn.
The importance of eating healthy and well
can never be underestimated more so
several feet above ground. These tips are
a guideline on what is recommended and
what is not recommended to consume
during or before a flight. Next time you are
on a long haul flight do try the recommended
foods and see for yourself which air diet is
best.
WATCHWHAT YOU EAT BEFORE BOARDING

DIARY ACTIVITIES
15:00-17:00
I have an unusual roaster, I start my 24 hour shift at 18:00hrs, which means my works
preparation start when most people are winding down the clock to finish their 8 to 5
job.
18:00 - 1900
I usually arrive at work 30 minutes early; it’s a culture that I told myself to cultivate
and uphold. Our shift commences with a handover and takeover exercise with the
previous shift thereafter we have a parade and roll call, duty allocation, and inspection.
A firefighter must always look smart.
19:00-20:00
Equipment checks, testing and readiness for turn outs. This is one of my favorite
aspects of my job. The moment I turn the ignition key on of the Magirus Fire tender
and it produces a roar of sheer power and determination.
20:00 – 2200
Dinner, briefing and social time. I am a keen physical training enthusiast so I watch
what I eat and try as much as I can to limit my carbs intake, besides my jobs requires
me to be physically fit.
2200 - 0000
Fire Cover for late night flight traffic. It has become a standard that when and airline
is refueling there must be fire cover or standby in the case of any eventuality. Some
airlines require fire cover they are landing and taking off, so we position our fire
tenders at the apron.
0500 – 0800
Our daily early morning ritual, requires us to test our equipment and report any faults
ALLinaday’swork
All In a Day’s Work is a feature which focuses on a particular career within the Aviation
industry from the daily activities of the office bearer. This edition will focus on Rejoice
Mlala a Sub Officer at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
REJOICE MLALA
Role: Sub Officer at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
Likes: Travelling, Socializing
Dislikes: Stigma against women.
Favorite Job Aspect: Training and operating the Iveco Magirus Fire Tender.

or malfunctions. As a woman breaking barriers, it’s encouraging to see men taking up
cleaning duties during our station cleaning , as I take up duties in this male
dominated field.
0800 – 0900
This is where my Gym App, comes in handy. I have an hour per day for physical
training which mostly comprises of a few sets of squats, Zumba and core workouts.
0900 – 1000
Records verification and actioning on equipment status.
1100 – 1300
Standard and situational drills, Equipment maintanance
1300 – 1400
Lunch time, yet another low carb meal and I always devote 15 minutes of my time to
prayer and Bible study as it keeps me going.
1400 – 1600
Lectures. Our trade is ever developing and evolving. We are required to keep on
learning and equipping ourselves with the best practices of our field.
1600 – 1800
Stand- down, wrap up all of the activities that we would have carried out. Need to
start preparing for the handover report to the next shift.
1800 – 1830
Handover and knock off.

Aviation Magazine Volume 4

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