The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube
Post Correspondent
IT is a new dawn for local tourism in the Eastern Highlands after a Zimbabwe-owned air travel company — Fly City Air — made history on October 31 to become the first commercial passenger charter flight between Harare and Mutare.
The development means a passenger can now fly from Mutare Aerodrome to Robert Mugabe International Airport in Harare.
The 30-minute flight between Harare and Mutare will allow easy local connections with cities like Bulawayo, Victoria Falls and Kwekwe among others.
On the regional routes, same day connections between Cape Town, Lusaka, Lilongwe, Blantyre, Johannesburg, Nairobi and Addis Ababa are also available.
Fly City Air business development officer, Ms Leslie Gurajena, told Post Business that the plane will be chartering flights three times a week from November 26 into the festive holidays season, with other days being Sundays, and a mid-week Wednesday flight.
She said Fly City Air saw the need to introduce domestic flights between cities as there was a gap in the local aviation industry.
Those arriving from Europe, Africa, Asia and United States of America will be able to make the same day connections to Mutare from Robert Mugabe International Airport.
“Departing Harare at 9:20am, the plane will arrive in Mutare at 10am. It will return to Harare at 10:20am and arrive at RGM International Airport at 11am. Fares will vary from US$90 for a one-way ticket with 7kg luggage allowed for both regular and leisure travellers. Fly City Air will be flying on two Cessna 12-seater models, the Grand Caravan and the Cessna 406 Caravan, a twin turbo operated by Falcon Air.
“The Cessna Caravans are one of the most efficient workhorses of the small aircraft family and were chosen for their practicality and flexibility given the size of the air strips targeted for landing.
“They are ideal for travelling with small groups hopping between cities. The cargo pods on the belly of the aircrafts create enough space for luggage and allows business and holiday ticket holders to have a maximum of 30kg of checked-in luggage,” said Ms Gurajena.
Fly City Air company has been in existence since 2003 offering scenic flights over Harare, she added.
“We have experienced commercial pilots certified by the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe(CAAZ). The company works with various companies like CAAZ, Falcon Air and Angels LiteTours to deliver safe, convenient, timely, professional and exceptional services.
“The booking services are now open via telephone bookings and local travel agencies in Mutare and Harare are committed to providing ticketing services. Mutare Aerodrome will be the point of departure and will see weekend specials for those flying for the first time and those keen on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enjoy a scenic flight over the city of Mutare coming soon,” she said.
Tourism players interviewed welcomed the development.
“This is a very welcome development which I hope will contribute immensely to the growth of tourism in the region.
We have been advocating for this innovation for a long time.
“It will promote domestic tourism in the short run, but long term it will also promote international tourists by directing them to the Eastern Highlands. People can drop off and connect straight at RGM International Airport,” said Eastern Highlands Experience chairman, Mr William Chatigu.
