SepulTALLICA From Zimbabwe, joined Sep 2009, 188 posts, RR: 0 Posted (3 years 5 months 4 weeks 1 day ago) and read 5859 times:
According to our local load-of-crap, aka The Herald Zimbabwe, BA will be returning to Harare with flights from LHR next year, and Etihad will supposedly be starting up a new route as well.
Quoting The Herald: BA to bounce back
................
British Airways will resume flights to Zimbabwe early next year following a two-year absence in a move expected to improve tourist arrivals into the country.
The airline stopped flights into Zimbabwe in September 2007, citing viability problems following a decline in tourist arrivals largely attributed to negative publicity the country was receiving and illegal sanctions imposed by the West.
Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe chief executive officer Mr David Chaota told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Communication on Monday that the airline would resume flights between March and April next year.
"British Airways will be coming back next year between March and April and that is why we have hope (of an increase in tourist arrivals) in 2010. The coming back of BA may also bring in other airlines," he said.
The CAAZ boss said discussions with El-Etihad (formerly Emirates) Airlines from the United Arab Emirates had been concluded to pave way for their flights into the country.
............
ThegreatRDU From United States of America, joined Mar 2006, 2273 posts, RR: 3 Reply 1, posted (3 years 5 months 4 weeks 1 day ago) and read 5843 times:
Skeptical, I'd have to see it to believe especially Etihad...
YOWza From Canada, joined Jul 2005, 4781 posts, RR: 17 Reply 2, posted (3 years 5 months 4 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 5667 times:
Truth be told I don't believe this AT ALL. Downing street is still putting the screws to Zim so I doubt BA would want to counter that just now.
As for EY/EK they have many more lucrative markets they will be focusing on in the near future. In the context of Africa I am lead to believe that Kinshasa and Luanda are a priority for new and upgraded service. Given EK's recent tie up with a state backed Senegalese carrier I would hazard that Dakar now finds itself on that list too ahead of HRE.
MIgAiR54 From Spain, joined Jun 2007, 1277 posts, RR: 0 Reply 3, posted (3 years 5 months 4 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 5389 times:
Quoting ThegreatRDU (Reply 1): Skeptical, I'd have to see it to believe especially Etihad...
me too
I think they could use the LHR slots and planes for better destination.
Quoting YOWza (Reply 2): As for EY/EK they have many more lucrative markets they will be focusing on in the near future. In the context of Africa I am lead to believe that Kinshasa and Luanda are a priority for new and upgraded service. Given EK's recent tie up with a state backed Senegalese carrier I would hazard that Dakar now finds itself on that list too ahead of HRE.
Agree, but if one of them start the route, they could do very good.....altough I´m not very sure they will do.
Pfletch1228 From South Africa, joined Aug 2006, 171 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (3 years 5 months 4 weeks 18 hours ago) and read 5183 times:
I imagine MN (The BA Franchisee) will not be happy about this... It will eat into their JNB - HRE revenue. And before anyone asks, JNB - HRE is a VERY profitable route for both MN and SA, for obvious reasons
War does not determine who is right. War determines who is left.
SepulTALLICA From Zimbabwe, joined Sep 2009, 188 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (3 years 5 months 4 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 5125 times:
Quoting Pfletch1228 (Reply 5): I imagine MN (The BA Franchisee) will not be happy about this... It will eat into their JNB - HRE revenue. And before anyone asks, JNB - HRE is a VERY profitable route for both MN and SA, for obvious reasons
Absolutely. The Milk Run has always been very lucrative for MN, SA and UM.
BA claimed in the past that the main reason they pulled out was because of Jet Fuel availability and prices at HRE, but when they did fly their 772 HRE-LHR with the red-eye going south and day-time return, the flights were always packed, despite the fact that their fares were at least triple that of UM & ET (via ADD).
Pfletch1228 From South Africa, joined Aug 2006, 171 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (3 years 5 months 4 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 5073 times:
Quoting SepulTALLICA (Reply 6): BA claimed in the past that the main reason they pulled out was because of Jet Fuel availability and prices at HRE
Yip, Jet Fuel is extremely expensive in HRE. Livingstone as well for that matter. It doesn't seem to stop MN, SA and UM making money though.. Having said that, I still believe BA withdrawing from the route was more to do with politics than anything else. It was also at a time when there were more profitable routes that they could fly with their equipment. BA have been eyeing high yielding African routes for a while now, so it wouldn't be a complete shock to me if they did restart HRE service. I also wouldn't be shocked to see them aggressively seek more LAD frequencies.
War does not determine who is right. War determines who is left.
Quoting SepulTALLICA (Reply 6):
BA claimed in the past that the main reason they pulled out was because of Jet Fuel availability and prices at HRE
Yip, Jet Fuel is extremely expensive in HRE. Livingstone as well for that matter. It doesn't seem to stop MN, SA and UM making money though.. Having said that, I still believe BA withdrawing from the route was more to do with politics than anything else. It was also at a time when there were more profitable routes that they could fly with their equipment. BA have been eyeing high yielding African routes for a while now, so it wouldn't be a complete shock to me if they did restart HRE service. I also wouldn't be shocked to see them aggressively seek more LAD frequencies.
Ultimately, if all BA's competition is, is an unreliable, parastatal like UM that is renowned for suddenly diverting or cancelling flights in order to accommodate the 'Dear Leader', then they should be able to charge what they want, regardless of gas prices, and still be able to make a bundle doing so.
Tonystan From Ireland, joined Jan 2006, 1174 posts, RR: 2 Reply 9, posted (3 years 5 months 4 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 4832 times:
I cant say I have heard anything in house about BA returning anytime soon but the political situation is slowly changing between the UK and Mugabe so you never know, stranger things have happened.
I for one would be delighted with a return to Harare. I always enjoyed by trips there, the people were fantastic and even in the last year or so of our operation there when we noticed things decline rapidly in the country I was still left inspired by the locals resiliance!
Wonderful country despite their leadership! (Bit like BA! lol)!
VV701 From United Kingdom, joined Aug 2005, 6621 posts, RR: 17 Reply 10, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 3715 times:
Personally I would not really expect BA to renew flights to Harare in the neat future. Of course the political situation has improved but it is still far from ideal. And if I was BA flight or cabin crew I would need a bit of persuading to have a layover of a couple of days in Harare.
With the daily BA JNB-HRE-JNB rotation I do not see that it is necessary to introduce a direct flight except . . .
With the still improving situation it does seem possible that BA management could be looking to be the first European, American or Middle East airline to reopen a service to HRE. Here they may see an opportunity to gain new business from individuals from both North America and continental Europe with a need to visit Zimbabwe who are not prepared to fly XXX-LHR-JNB-HRE but would be prepared to fly XXX-LHR-HRE.
Mutu From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2006, 504 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (3 years 5 months 3 weeks 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 3693 times:
Quoting Pfletch1228 (Reply 7): Yip, Jet Fuel is extremely expensive in HRE. Livingstone as well for that matter. It doesn't seem to stop MN, SA and UM making money though..
of course with enough short hops they can refuel away from HRE surely? A flight from europe would need a tag on to pick up fuel but with a full fuel load followed by a short hop back to HRE this doesnt really make much sense?
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