ZIMBABWE: Air Zimbabwe Blessed With Duty Free Importation Of Spares

Efforts to improve the operations of Air Zimbabwe have received further boost following revelations that Government recently extended the dispensation for the national air carrier to import spares duty free.

Through statutory instrument 92/2019 Customs and Excise – Duty Rebate for Air Zimbabwe the Government extended, for the whole of 2019, the existing rebate on engine spares and aircraft components for Air Zimbabwe.

The debt ridden State owned airline was placed under the administration of Grant Thornton with effect from October 4 2018, amid a string of losses, in terms of the Reconstruction of State-Indebted Insolvent Companies Act.

Administrator Reggie Saruchena late last year said Air Zimbabwe revival was possible; promising a turnaround.

He said he had previously handled similar challenges. As operational and viability problems mounted at the national airline, Air Zimbabwe's passenger numbers plunged to about 230 000 per annum from a peak of 1 million in 1996.

Air Zim has also been struggling to meet its external obligations resulting in it being suspended from international aviation bodies, whose membership is critical for its global routes.

Air Zim assistant administrator Tonderai Mukubvu said that extension of rebate was welcome as it reduces the cost of aircraft maintenance.

The removal of import duty takes away a significant cost of maintenance. For instance, if a spare part costs US$4, it means that this reduces the cost of maintenance by the equivalent of the duty, Mr Mukubvu said in an interview.

Air Zim spares must all be imported because we do not have any local manufacturer, as such the removal of the duty cuts down on the foreign required to import from wherever since the duty is also charged in forex, he added.

He also said that the extension of the duty rebate on spares and components will enable the airline to save foreign currency.

The airline currently has two functional aircraft; one flying and servicing domestic and regional routes and another currently grounded and undergoing maintenance procedure, C-check.

Delivery of an Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft from the US is expected in the next two weeks to increase its fleet of functional aircraft, making the rebate handy.

Further, reports earlier this month indicated that the airline was due to take delivery of two Boeing 777-200 ERs acquired from Malaysia, as part of efforts to boost its fleet.

Mr Mukubvu said a reduction in the amount of foreign currency required to import critical spares, as Zimbabwe faces forex shortages, will reduce the overall cost of maintenance by an equivalent factor.

Mr Mukubvu said the company was operating two aircraft while a third, an Embraer ERJ 145 was expected in Zimbabwe in a fortnight and would also benefit from the import duty rebate on spares and engine components.

Air Zim is saddled with a US$341 million debt accumulated over a decade of mismanagement. The inability to repay debts left the airline unable to meet its obligations to global aviation bodies.

Air Zim is now battling to attain recertification under the International Air Transport Association operational safety audit and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) after losing its rights as a result of failing to pay its dues.

IATA is an association of the airlines from across the globe, representing 275 airlines or 83 percent of total air traffic. The association supports many areas of aviation activity and helps to formulate industry policy on critical aviation issues.

One of Air Zimbabwe's long haul aircraft, a Boeing 767-200 was impounded by American General Supplies at Gatwick International Airport in London in December 2011 over debts amounting to $1,2 million.

In 1980, Air Zimbabwe had 18 aircraft flying into 31 destinations but is now limited to Harare-Johannesburg; Harare-Bulawayo and Harare-Victoria Falls routes.


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EUROPEAN UNION: Airlines Failed International Safety Standards Therefore Subject To A Ban

The European Commission updated the EU Air Safety List, the list of non-European airlines that do not meet international safety standards, and are therefore subject to an operating ban or operational restrictions within the European Union.

The EU Air Safety List seeks to ensure the highest level of air safety for European citizens, which is a top priority of the Aviation Strategy adopted by the Commission in December 2015.

Following today’s update, all airlines certified in Benin and Mozambique are cleared from the list, following further improvements to the aviation safety situation in these countries. On the other hand, the airlines Med-View (Nigeria), Mustique Airways (St. Vincent and the Grenadines), Aviation Company Urga (Ukraine) and Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe) were added to the list due to unaddressed safety deficiencies that were detected by the European Aviation Safety Agency during the assessment for a third country operator authorisation.

Commissioner for Transport Violeta Bulc said: I am glad that we are able to take all carriers from Benin and Mozambique out of the air safety list.

Their reforms have paid off. This is also a signal to the 16 countries that remain on the list. It shows that work and cooperation pays off.

The Commission and the European Aviation Safety Agency are ready to assist them and raise the safety standards worldwide.

The EU Air Safety List not only helps to maintain high levels of safety in the EU, but it also helps affected countries to improve their levels of safety, in order to eventually allow them to operate flights to and from airports in the European Union.

In addition, the EU Air Safety List has become a major preventive tool, as it motivates countries with safety problems to act upon them before a ban under the EU Air Safety List would become necessary.

Following the update, a total of 181 airlines are banned from EU skies:

- 174 airlines certified in 16 states, due to a lack of safety oversight by the aviation authorities from these states.

Seven individual airlines, based on safety concerns with regard to these airlines themselves:

- Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran)

- Iraqi Airways (Iraq)

- Blue Wing Airlines (Suriname)

- Med-View Airlines (Nigeria)

- Mustique Airways (St Vincent and the Grenadines)

- Aviation Company Urga (Ukraine)

- Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe).

An additional six airlines are subject to operational restrictions and can only fly to the EU with specific aircraft types

- Afrijet and Nouvelle Air Affaires SN2AG (Gabon)

- Air Koryo (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea)

- Air Service Comores (the Comoros)

- Iran Air (Iran)

- TAAG Angola Airlines (Angola)

The Commission is constantly looking at ways to improve air safety. One such way is to work with aviation authorities worldwide to raise global safety standards. With this in mind, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is therefore implementing technical cooperation projects with partner countries and regions.

An example is the “Improving Air Transport in Central Africa” (ATA-AC) project, where EASA works with a number of African states on several aspects of aviation safety.

Benin and Mozambique both benefitted from such cooperation projects, which contributed to address past safety deficiencies.

You can download the full list of banned airlines – here.

UNITED KINGDOM: TAG Aviation Receives Operational Approval

TAG Aviation (UK) has been granted approval to use less restrictive instrument approach minimums, in line with EASA regulations. The approvals only apply on aircraft fitted with HUD/EVS technology.

Enhanced vision system (EVS) incorporate sensing technology to improve a pilot’s ability to detect objects – such as runway lights or terrain – that may otherwise not be visible. The image produced from the sensor and/or image processor can be displayed to the pilot in a number of ways including use of a HUD.

As part of the approvals process TAG Aviation developed a training programme, associated operational techniques and standard operating procedures in order to equip its crews with the skills and knowledge required to effectively operate these systems.

Captain David Clarke, deputy chief pilot said: “The HUD/EVS approval and training permits crews to fly to an approach in visibility worse than the normal minimum, allowing a decent of 100′ above the runway in bad weather, rather than the usual 200′.”