Edmund Makona appointed acting CEO of national airliner Air Zimbabwe

The Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure Development on Monday announced the appointment of aviation expert Edmund Makona to the post of acting chief executive officer of the national airline, Air Zimbabwe.

Makona’s appointment is with effect from 12 April and will run for the six months.

He takes over from Tafadzwa Zaza, who had been acting CEO for 16 months.

In a statement, the Ministry said Makona is an aviation expert with experience spanning over three decades and will hold the post until a substantive chief executive is recruited.

“The board wishes to tap into his vast experience as a former CEO of Air Zimbabwe, who successfully re-launched the airline in 2013,” it said.

Part of Makona’s brief is to begin the process of turning around the airline into a dependable carrier.

“The Ministry and board wishes Makona and his management, great success as they spearhead Air Zimbabwe’s recovery process, through implementation of the Air Zimbabwe 6-year strategic turnaround plan with a view to develop a dependable airline with a robust hub and spoke network; with Harare and Victoria Falls as the main and tourism hubs respectively,” it said.

Air Zimbabwe is currently plying domestic and regional routes, including Harare-Bulawayo and Harare-Victoria Falls while regional ones include flights to Johannesburg and Tanzania. New Ziana