Air Botswana has announced the resumption of direct flights from Gaborone to Harare, Zimbabwe, and Lusaka, Zambia, two years after they were suspended during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Following the revelation of the coronavirus pandemic in April 2020, Air Botswana halted flights to various countries as nations took steps to prevent the virus from spreading.
In the beginning, the airline will operate two weekly direct flights on Fridays and Sundays, increasing to three times weekly as demand grows, according to General Manager Agnes Khunwana.
“We are pleased about this development. It heralds that travel demand is gradually increasing after the global paralysis brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are optimistic that, in due course, the desire to travel will be even stronger and have positioned ourselves to cope with the much-anticipated travel demand both locally and regionally,” Khunwana said.
This route, as well as several of the airline’s regional routes, such as Gaborone-Cape Town, will be served by an Embraer 170 Jet. Customers can also make connections between Lusaka, Harare, and Cape Town because of the flight schedule.
Furthermore, the Jet improves client convenience by increasing speed, comfort, and catering options.
This raises the total number of airlines in Zimbabwe to eighteen. Only three airlines were using the country’s airspace during the start of the Second Republic.
The entry of new and returning aviation businesses into the market is in accordance with the government’s strategy of deregulating the air transportation industry, which is a critical enabler of economic development.
Eurowings Discover, a German airline, launched its first route from Frankfurt to Victoria Falls in April, marking the first direct passenger travel between Zimbabwe and Europe since Air Zimbabwe stopped flying to London in 2011.
With Germans and others from the middle of Europe now having a direct access to the country, the move is expected to promote tourism.