Steering Zimbabwe Back Onto the Map: Hon. Felix Mhona and the Revival of the Transport Sector | Best African News Online

Zimbabwe’s transport turnaround was highlighted by progress in both aviation and road infrastructure under Minister of Transport and Infrastructure Development Hon. Felix Tapiwa Mhona. The article says Zimbabwe is ready to launch direct Harare-to-London flights after obtaining the necessary operating permit from the UK Civil Aviation Authority, ending a 14-year period without a direct link to the United Kingdom. It attributes the route launch to prior debt clearance that constrained the national carrier’s international ambitions, modernization work at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport, and a wet-lease agreement for a 302-seat Airbus A330-300 from Spain’s Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas. The service is planned for three weekly return frequencies and takes roughly 10 hours point-to-point, avoiding costly detours via Johannesburg, Nairobi, Addis Ababa, and Dubai. The piece also credits road works with the US$88 million Trabablas Interchange in Harare, replacing the Mbudzi roundabout and easing congestion on major corridors since it opened to traffic, with freight benefits along the North–South Corridor.