Air Zimbabwe Selling 2 Boeing 777s That Have Been Parked Since Arrival

Air Zimbabwe Selling 2 Boeing 777s That Have Been Parked Since Arrival

Air Zimbabwe is offloading two long-idle Boeing 777-200ER planes it bought from Malaysia, which have been parked at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport ever since they landed in Harare.

The airline is hoping to raise money and streamline operations by selling the planes “as is,” according to a notice published in the Government Gazette on Friday. The sale is open to international bidders registered with the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ), and proposals must be submitted through the PRAZ e-GP system before July 25, 2025.

“Air Zimbabwe is inviting international reputable and eligible bidders registered with the Procurement Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) for the following requirements . . . Disposal of 2 x B777-200ER aircraft in an ‘as is’ condition at RGM International Airport, Harare, Zimbabwe.”

Air Zimbabwe’s CEO, Edmund Makona, said the decision to sell the planes is part of a bigger turnaround plan aimed at rebuilding the struggling airline. He said the company has adopted a four-pillar strategy focused on good governance, air services, staff development, and engineering.

Put simply, Air Zimbabwe wants to modernise, grow its route network, and stop holding onto assets that don’t serve its goals.

“We have adopted a four-pillar strategy focusing on corporate governance, air transportation services, human capital development, and aircraft maintenance and engineering. A successful strategy must prioritise growth, and for us, that means expanding our route network. So the sale of the two aircraft is meant to achieve our turnaround strategy, which is also anchored on the desire to modernise our airline consistent with the National Development Strategy,” said Mr Makona.

Despite past struggles, Air Zimbabwe says it’s already making progress. Regional routes have been reopened, flight frequencies have gone up, and more passengers are flying with them.

Makona also revealed that the airline has revived its technical training school, which had been closed since 2017. The school is now training new apprentices and also offers refresher courses for current engineers and pilots.

The commercial training school is also expected to reopen soon and will offer IATA-accredited courses in Zimbabwe – something that previously required costly travel to South Africa or Kenya.

“There is also the technical training school, which was closed in 2017 and is now up and running. We recently took our first group of apprentices recently and the same school helps in recurrent training for our engineers and pilots. All this is part of our turnaround strategy,” he added.

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