via Bombardier confirms Air Zim talks 5 November 2014
AIR Zimbabwe is set to acquire a new fleet from a Canadian aviation company, NewZimbabwe.com heard this week
If the deal sails through Air Zimbabwe will be home to modern low-cost jets known as Bombardier Q400.
“We have seen that Zimbabwe is a market full of opportunities and we hope that if we manage to strike a deal with Air Zimbabwe we will be able to supply and introduce the latest technology in this market,” said Bombardier sales director for Africa and Middle East, Sameer Adam.
The Bombardier, previously known as the de Havilland Canada Dash 8 or DHC-8, is a series of twin-engined, medium range, turboprop airliners.
Over 1,000 Dash 8s of all models have been built, with Bombardier forecasting a total production run of 1,192 aircraft of all variants by 2016.
Bombardier’s turboprop Q400 has 67 seats and boasts of an active noise cancellation system. The aircraft has significantly lower operating costs compared to other planes.
“With this jet-like performance, the Q400 may be treated as a jet, preventing airport congestion normally attributed to the lack of understanding of a turboprop’s performance by air traffic controllers,” Adam said.
Transport and Infrastructural Development Minister Obert Mpofu said he hoped the negotiations would bear fruit.
“Air Zimbabwe must take advantage of new technology being offered by Bombardier and select the most suitable aircraft for the local environment.
Air Zimbabwe acting chief executive Edmund Makona said the airline is continually looking for opportunities to improve the existing fleet.
“Most airlines in Africa are using aircraft that is not suitable for their routes. We want to avoid such a scenario, that’s why we are negotiating with various aircraft suppliers,” said Makona adding that Air Zimbabwe “is currently looking for two suitable aircraft to service the domestic and thin regional routes”.
COMMENTS
At last Air Zim is looking at the right types of planes for domestic and regional routes.These are very reliable planes with a good record provided maintenance is done properly.Business deals should not be governed by cheap political propaganda otherwise it costs you heavily in due course.
Bombardier much better than the Chinese junk. HOWEVER, Mixed Race makes a very valid point… maintenance. Maintenance is very expensive to insure safety and operational continuity. Much revenue must be ploughed back in to properly address both scheduled and unscheduled maintenance programs. This will not happen if the funds continue to be squandered by mismanagement or stolen by mid-level and high-ranking thieves. The complexity of these aircraft are somewhat less than the Boeings, but the systems are no less critical for safety. As a pilot, and it will take many years before I will again put my life in the hands of Zim Air. Just as a war can be lost for the lack of a nail, just so, lives can be lost for lack of funds to replace a bald tire, a cracked hose, or worn wire on an aircraft.