South Africa’s national carrier resumed flights between Johannesburg and Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls this week after nearly three years.
The South African Airways (SAA) suspended flights on the route in March 2020 in efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19. The decision was also attributed partly to financial challenges.
The first arrival of an SAA aircraft landed at the Victoria Falls International Airport on Thursday, December 15.
The Zimbabwean government lauded the move, noting that it’ll help boost tourism in the country, even as the sector angles a return to pre-COVID levels.
“Zimbabwe is elated by the return of SAA and it is our hope that this connectivity will facilitate tourism, cultural and business exchanges, and economic opportunities,” Harare-based The Herald quotes the Deputy Minister of Transport and Infrastructural Development Mike Madiro.
“Air transport leveraged by robust airport infrastructure is pivotal to the economic growth of our country.”
SAA also resumed flights to Harare in September 2021.
The Airline’s executive, Fikile Mhlontlo, said it is making efforts to return services to pre-COVID levels, as it also works to stabilize its financial status.
