The Zimbabwean government continues to expand its fleet in an effort to revive its national airline, Air Zimbabwe. The government has successfully purchased two second-hand Boeing 777-200 long-haul aircraft from Malaysia.
Zimbabwe’s state-owned newspaper, the Herald, announced on Tuesday that the first aircraft landed at Robert Mugabe International Airport in Harare on Monday, and the second aircraft is expected to arrive within a few weeks.
The handover ceremony for the aircraft was presided over by Acting President Constantino Chiwenga and was marked by major celebrations. According to the news outlet ZimLive, the $16.5 million aircraft order was placed as part of the government’s plan to establish a debt-free national airline after Air Zimbabwe’s debts exceeded $300 million in 2016.
However, Zimbabwe Airways, managed by former President Robert Mugabe’s son-in-law Simba Chikore, was unable to become operational after Air Zimbabwe’s creditors learned of the government’s plan to set up a proxy company.
The aircraft that landed in Harare on Monday is reported to be 15 years old. It had been parked since 2015, following Malaysia Airlines’ decision to retire its entire Boeing 777 fleet after the disappearance of Flight MH370 and the shooting down of Flight MH17 over Ukraine in 2014.
According to ZimLive, the aircraft, registered as Z-RGM, has been named in honor of former President Robert Mugabe.
