Misplaced Pages

#260739

75-613: AZW may refer to: Air Zimbabwe , or AZW in the ICAO airline code .azw , file format used by the Amazon Kindle e-Book reader Architekturzentrum Wien , part of Museumsquartier in Vienna Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title AZW . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change

150-518: A 50-day-long strike. Once again, overseas and domestic flights were temporarily cancelled in early November 2011, this time owing to an unpaid debt with fuel providers. Overseas routes resumed on 11 November 2011. However, flights to the United Kingdom and South Africa were suspended in January 2012 over likely impoundments of the airline's aircraft for outstanding debts. Following is

225-608: A 700 could carry a 13,000-lb payload from Chicago to New York in 2 hours 45 minutes against a 10-mph headwind, burning 6395 lb of fuel. In the field of intercity transports employing the propeller turbine, the Vickers Viscount Model 700 appears to be considerably superior to anything else in its class. [It has] exceptionally fine flying qualities and is a most comfortable vehicle in which to travel. John Watkins, Chief Technical Officer of Trans Australia Airlines . All production Viscounts were powered by

300-412: A development aircraft for the type for several years. In late August 1950, BEA placed an order for 20 aircraft; further orders came in the following year from operators such as Air France , Aer Lingus , and Misrair . In 1953, the basic cost given for a Viscount was £235,000. One reporter, after travelling on an Air France Viscount, wrote in 1953: "Noise level was less than that of piston engines. It

375-608: A domestic airline within Rhodesia. Following the dissolution of CAAC at the end of 1967, Air Rhodesia inherited CAAC operations, as well as a fleet of Boeing, DC-3 and Viscount aircraft. It became the short-lived 'Air Zimbabwe Rhodesia' in 1978, and finally 'Air Zimbabwe' in April 1980 when the Republic of Zimbabwe was formed. Services connecting Harare with South Africa ( Durban and Johannesburg ) had been operated before

450-588: A dozen Viscounts, and purchased later turboprop aircraft such as the Fokker F27 Friendship ; It later transitioned to jet aircraft as passenger demand outgrew the capacity of the Viscounts. To compete with its rival TAA, another Australian airline, Ansett-ANA also procured its own small Viscount fleet; the Viscount allowed Ansett to set out a faster and superior service than the larger TAA for

525-559: A list of destinations Air Zimbabwe flies to, according to its scheduled services, as of March 2018 . Terminated destinations are also shown. As of September 2019 , the Air Zimbabwe fleet consists of the following aircraft: The airline previously operated the following aircraft: Two Viscount 800s were purchased from Dan-Air in the early 1980s, to replace the Viscount 700s inherited from Air Rhodesia that were near

600-695: A member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA); it also extended its regional routes to Gaborone , Lilongwe , Lusaka and Nairobi . By March 1985, Air Zimbabwe had 1,443 employees and the fleet comprised five Boeing 707-320Bs and seven Viscount 700s . At this time, the airline flew domestic services linking Harare with Buffalo Range , Bulawayo , Gweru , Hwange National Park , Kariba , Masvingo and Victoria Falls , regional services to Blantyre , Durban, Gaborone , Johannesburg, Lusaka and Nairobi, and intercontinental flights to Athens, Frankfurt and London;

675-610: A service to Perth and Sydney commenced; it was run in cooperation with Qantas and flown with Qantas Boeing 747SP aircraft. In May that year, the Government directed Air Zimbabwe and the national freighter airline Affretair to merge their operations; the freighter company was eventually taken over by Air Zimbabwe in July 1983. The cargo carrier continued its operations under the Affretair brand. During 1983, Air Zimbabwe became

750-486: A single aircraft and serving only three domestic destinations—Bulawayo, Harare and Victoria Falls—and only for a short period of time until the grounding of the aircraft on 2 July 2012. The airline was reactivated in late November 2012, with a reduced flight scheme serving the Harare–Johannesburg route. Reports indicated the carrier resumed domestic operations connecting Bulawayo, Harare and Victoria Falls, as well as

825-620: Is also the son-in-law to Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe . Captain Ripton Muzenda was appointed as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) in late August 2016. He eventually, resigned 15 months after his appointment, ultimately suing the company for allegedly violating contract terms. Simba resigned from Air Zimbabwe in November 2017. Air Zimbabwe has been loss-making for many years, with irregular services. Although

SECTION 10

#1732782827261

900-531: Is an accepted version of this page The Vickers Viscount is a British medium-range turboprop airliner first flown in 1948 by Vickers-Armstrongs . A design requirement from the Brabazon Committee , it entered service in 1953 and was the first turboprop-powered airliner. The Viscount was well received by the public for its cabin conditions, which included pressurisation , reductions in vibration and noise, and panoramic windows. It became one of

975-552: The African Airlines Association since 1981. As of July 2014 , it is owned by the Government of Zimbabwe . The entity that eventually became Air Zimbabwe formally came into being on 1 September 1967, when the Government of Rhodesia created ' Air Rhodesia Corporation ' to succeed Air Rhodesia, a wholly owned subsidiary of Central African Airways Corporation (CAAC) that had existed since 1964 as

1050-642: The Armstrong Siddeley Mamba , which the government specified for the two prototypes. The choice of the Mamba engine increased the weight, but Vickers made sure the engine nacelle would fit either the Mamba or Dart. While the Dart progressed better in development, the government asked in August 1947 for the second prototype to be Dart-powered. The second prototype was designated the 630 and was named as

1125-559: The Aviation Safety Network , the company has not had a fatal accident since Air Rhodesia was renamed Air Zimbabwe in 1980. The only hull-loss accident is listed below. In June 1999 the Chicago Tribune published a story, later withdrawn, in which the reporter Gaby Plattner claimed she had flown from Kariba to Hwange on an Air Zimbabwe service, and that the flight departed without a co-pilot , and during

1200-504: The Cocos (Keeling) Islands to Melbourne's Essendon Airport in 10 hours 16 minutes (343.8 mph). Trans Australia Airlines (TAA) received its first Viscount in 1954, and the aircraft quickly proved profitable, leading to additional orders. The Viscount proved to be an invaluable aircraft for TAA, aviation author John Gunn stating, "TAA had achieved dominance on Australia's trunk routes with its turboprop Viscounts". TAA procured over

1275-531: The 'Reconstruction Report' by the airline administrator Grant Thornton, as reported by the Zimbabwe Independent . Publicised figures (for years ending 31 December): The Harare– Beijing service was launched in November 2004, following an increase of the Chinese –Zimbabwean economic ties. Likewise, the carrier added Kuala Lumpur to its network in 2009. A capacity boost was disclosed to occur on

1350-407: The 700. The fuselage was lengthened 3 ft 10 in (1.17 m) and the rear pressure bulkhead was moved aft 5 ft 5 in (1.65 m), allowing more passengers to be carried. The 800s (excepting the 806s) were powered by the Dart 510. The third type of Viscount was the 810. It was the same size as the 800s, but was powered with R.Da. 7/1 Mk 225 or Mk 530 Darts. With the greater power,

1425-483: The 737-200 fleet and to fuel shortages in the country, domestic services were suspended and regional flights were operated on an irregular basis. The airline started regularising medium- and short-haul operations in July 2011, as it got clearance from the CAAZ to operate one of its three grounded 737-200. Operations were discontinued again in late July 2011, this time due to a pilots' strike, resuming in mid-September after

1500-468: The 810 was faster and longer ranged than the 800. Proposed type 740, 850, and 870 Viscounts never left the drawing board. The Viscount's good performance and popularity with customers encouraged Vickers to privately finance and develop an enlarged and re-engined variant of the Viscount, later designated as the Vickers Vanguard . The Vanguard drew extensively from the knowledge and design of

1575-732: The Democratic Republic of Congo). through to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). In February 2011 the airline temporarily suspended its flights to Johannesburg over likely impoundments of its planes by creditors due to unpaid debts. Regional and domestic services were suspended for a short period in May 2011, following both the grounding of its Boeing 737-200 fleet by the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) over maintenance concerns, and

SECTION 20

#1732782827261

1650-1000: The Harare–London-Gatwick route effective 1 April 2011. The Harare– London route that was once served by both British Airways and Air Zimbabwe had become one of the most lucrative routes for Air Zimbabwe since the British carrier discontinued the service in 2007. As part of its recovery strategy, the airline in April 2020 has launched a comprehensive revival plan. The airline is planning new routes from Victoria Falls, as well as from Harare. Victoria Falls will connect local resorts (Buffalo Range, Kariba, Matopos, and Hwange) and regional destinations in Windhoek (Namibia), Maun (Botswana) and Cape Town (South Africa). The main Harare hub will introduce regular flights to Lusaka (Zambia), Cape Town, Dubai (UAE) and Lubumbashi and Kinshasa (both in

1725-681: The Harare–Perth–Sydney route offered using Qantas Boeing 747SP aircraft was flown in association with Air Zimbabwe. A Boeing 737-200 that had been leased from Maersk was returned to the lessor in 1986 and the first of three owned Boeing 737-200s was phased in and put into service in December that year; the second and third aircraft of the type were delivered in June and July 1987. The additional capacity permitted route extensions to Dar es Salaam , Manzini , Maputo and Mauritius . A BAe 146-200

1800-578: The IATA over unpaid debts. In late October 2006, the prices of Air Zimbabwe tickets increased up to 500%, partly due to the inflation in the country rising to over 1,000%—at that time the Zimbabwean Central Bank stated that it could not continue supporting Air Zimbabwe and other money-losing state companies—and partly because the airline was in need of foreign currency to pay for fuel, spare parts , and catering. A foreign exchange crisis in

1875-523: The Rolls-Royce Dart turboprop; from its initial 800 hp, and then 1,000 hp and higher, Rolls-Royce extensively developed the Dart engine, due to its popularity and use on the Viscount and several later aircraft. One key model was the Dart 506 engine, with better fuel efficiency than earlier models, allowing airline Viscounts to fly longer routes, with more payload. With the availability of more powerful engines, Vickers continued to develop

1950-580: The Type 700. Meanwhile, the first prototype Type 630 was awarded a restricted Certificate of Airworthiness on 15 September 1949, followed by a full certificate on 27 July 1950, which allowed the aircraft to be placed into trial service with BEA on 29 July to familiarise the pilots and ground crew with the new aircraft. It flew scheduled flights between London and Paris, and London and Edinburgh until 23 August 1950. The 29 July 1950 flight between Northolt and Paris – Le Bourget Airport with 14 paying passengers

2025-518: The US government imposed its embargo on Cuba in 1962, Cubana decided to sell all of its Viscounts. They were replaced by Soviet-built turboprop aircraft. South African Airways (SAA) was another major operator of the Viscount; by January 1959, it was operating on all of SAA's domestic routes. In 1961, SAA had seven Viscounts, and acquired a further aircraft from Cuba in the following year. In 1965, SAA began receiving Boeing 727s , which had been selected

2100-499: The Viscount 700 prototype G-AMAV achieved the fastest time (40 hours 41 minutes flying time) in the transport section of the 12,367 mi (19,903 km) air race from London to Christchurch , New Zealand. The aircraft averaged 320 mph (520 km/h) in the event, crossing the finish line nine hours ahead of its closest rival, a Douglas DC-6 A of KLM , with the latter winning on handicap. En route , equipped with extra fuel tanks, it flew 3,530 mi (5,680 km) nonstop from

2175-596: The Viscount became the mainstay of the route between Johannesburg in South Africa, Salisbury (now renamed Harare) in modern-day Zimbabwe , and London, England. CAA had enough Viscounts to entirely replace its Viking fleet and to occasionally lease them to other operators. More Viscounts were purchased by CAA right up until 1965, when CAA announced its intention to procure the British Aircraft Corporation 's jet-powered BAC 1-11 successor as

2250-734: The Viscount generated considerable interest from airlines and industry figures across the United States, including American aviation pioneer Howard Hughes , who purchased 15 Viscounts immediately after personally flying one. US Capital Airlines became an important operator of the Type 700 Viscount, using it heavily throughout the eastern US routes; in 1958, Capital reportedly had accumulated over 350,000 flight hours on its Viscounts, more than any other operator. Continental Airlines and Northeast Airlines also became US Viscount operators. The first airline in Latin America to operate

2325-404: The Viscount project. Never having flown other than piston-engined aircraft I was tremendously impressed with the smoothness of the four Dart turboprop engines. As I sat in the cabin, a coin was balanced on its edge on the table... Test Pilot Joseph Summers , commenting on flight characteristics of the Viscount. The prototype Type 630, registered G-AHRF , made its maiden flight from

AZW - Misplaced Pages Continue

2400-472: The Viscount was Cubana de Aviación . Cubana's −755D Viscounts, delivered in 1956, were placed on the Havana -Miami and Varadero -Miami routes, and were successful at raising Cubana's market share on these routes. During the 1958 Cuban elections, a Cubana Viscount was hijacked by gunmen aligned with the 26th of July Movement ; the aircraft crash-landed in the sea, reportedly killing 17 of the 20 occupants. When

2475-534: The Viscount with Britain directly. The last batch of six aircraft built was for the Chinese CAAC Airlines , which was delivered during 1964; at the end of production. 445 Viscounts had been manufactured. Many Viscounts were refurbished and saw new service with African operators; sales of these second-hand aircraft continued into the 1990s. The last airworthy Viscount, 9Q-COD, is believed to have been flown last in January 2009 for Global Airways in

2550-791: The Viscount with a newer turboprop aircraft, the Hawker Siddeley HS 748 . On 18 April 1996, British World Airlines conducted the last Viscount passenger service in Britain, exactly 46 years after BEA's inaugural flight; on board the flight were Sir George Edwards and Sir Peter Masefield . In late 1960, the People's Republic of China had begun negotiations with Vickers for as many as 40 Viscounts, but negotiations were protracted due to political tensions. At this point, China sought arrangements to purchase Viscounts second-hand from existing operators, and later achieved successive deals regarding

2625-428: The Viscount's design. Later models could carry more passengers and had fewer load limitations. Three basic versions of the Viscount were built. The first production version was the Type 700 powered by R.Da.3 Dart 505 and later R.Da.3 Dart 506s. A subvariant was the type 700Ds powered by R.D.a Dart 510s. The second version was the Type 800, which was shorter in range and had a higher passenger capacity aircraft than

2700-517: The Viscount, and maintained its advantage of lower operating costs over jet airliners, but its disadvantage in being slower became critical as jets became more available. Regular passenger flights were launched by BEA on 18 April 1953, the world's first scheduled turboprop airline service. BEA became a large user of the Viscount, as well the rival Handley Page Dart Herald ; by mid-1958, BEA's Viscount fleet had carried over 2.75 million passengers over 200,000 flight hours. Following BEA's launch of

2775-466: The Viscount. The first prototype already under construction was converted to the Dart as a 630, as well. The resulting Vickers Type 630 design was completed at Brooklands by chief designer Rex Pierson and his staff in 1945, a 32-seat airliner powered by four Dart engines for a cruising speed of 275 mph (443 km/h). An order for two prototypes was placed in March 1946, and construction started in

2850-460: The Viscount... it was quite likely that the smaller version would have gone into production... It was in a sense BEA's lack of enthusiasm for the [Type] 630 which made possible the [Viscount's] success." Early flight trials, however, showed the qualities of a turboprop, resulting in a February 1949 order from the Ministry of Supply for a prototype of a stretched version with more powerful engines,

2925-578: The acquisition of new Airbus aircraft, since the secretary of the Zimbabwean Ministry of Transport has denied the transaction, but there exist records for the delivery of an A320 to the company. The introduction of A320 services was informed in May 2013, when it replaced the Boeing 767s on the Harare–Johannesburg route. On 20 January 2020, the airline received the first of 2 Boeing 777-200 jets from Malaysia Airlines . According to

3000-535: The aircraft carry 32 passengers, instead, but remained otherwise similar. The first design in June 1945 was based on the Viking with four turboprop engines and 24 seats and designated the VC-2 or Type 453. Later, a double-bubble fuselage was proposed to give extra underfloor cargo space. Neither was pressurised, but the designers soon realised that for economical operation, an altitude above 20,000 ft (6,100 m)

3075-505: The airline is government owned, full annual reports are not published. Audited accounts were last presented in 2008, and despite press reports that audits have been completed for the years 2009 to 2012, these do not appear to have been published. Various performance figures have been publicly professed, but are subject to change and may therefore not be accurate (for example, the number of employees have allegedly remained fixed in recent years). Recent financial figures (2014 to 2018) are from

AZW - Misplaced Pages Continue

3150-638: The airline was put under administration on 6 October 2018. On 26 March 2020, the airline was forced to suspend all flights indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic . The airline was subsequently forced to put all employees on unpaid leave and was in the process of creating a post-pandemic masterplan. It returned to flying domestic routes in September and regional routes in October 2020. By March 2023, Air Zimbabwe reported clearing its debt to IATA , and

3225-532: The committee and Vickers' chief designer, Rex Pierson , Vickers advocated turboprop power. The committee was not convinced and split the specification into two types, the Type IIA using piston power, which led to the Airspeed Ambassador , and the turboprop-powered Type IIB, which Vickers was selected to develop in April 1945. British European Airways (BEA) was involved in the design and asked that

3300-525: The company's Foxwarren Experimental Department. Originally named Viceroy after the viceroy of India, Lord Louis Mountbatten , the aircraft was renamed Viscount following India's independence in 1947. Work took place on replacing the Darts with the Mamba, but this was dropped by the time the prototypes were reaching completion. After Pierson's death in 1948, George Edwards (later Sir George Edwards) took over as chief designer and assumed all technical control over

3375-422: The country gained its independence. Scheduled services began on 2 April 1980 to London Gatwick . The company had leased a Boeing 707 from South African Airways until May 1981, when three Boeing 707-320Bs were bought from Lufthansa . That year, flights to Frankfurt were inaugurated. The airline recorded a ZWL  330,000 ( £ 220,000) profit for the fiscal year that ended on 30 June 1980. During 1982,

3450-411: The country led to the cancellation of the carrier's operations in late 2005, following the lack of hard currency to pay for the fuel. In 2006, it was disclosed that passenger numbers had fallen from 1 million in 1999 to 23,000 in 2005. In May 2011, the airline was suspended from IATA's international financial and booking system over unpaid booking fees. It was announced in early November 2011 that

3525-477: The end of 1953, the order book had risen to 90, and 160 by the end of the following year. Vickers was able to quickly respond to the new orders, as it had gambled on such orders emerging and early on the decision had been taken to commit to a high production rate at the company's own risk. In 1957, the Vickers production line was producing the Viscount at a rate of one aircraft every three days. In October 1953,

3600-519: The end of their life; these aircraft flew for the company until their retirement in 1989. The initial fleet of five Boeing 707s sourced from Lufthansa replaced the Boeing 720 aircraft used by Air Rhodesia . These 707s joined the Vickers Viscount fleet, that was strengthened by the addition of two Viscounts 810s from Dan Air. The airline saw the incorporation of the Boeing 737-200 into

3675-592: The first Viscount was delivered to Canada in a large media event that included an improvised aerial display. TCA became a prolific operator of the type, placing multiple follow-up orders for additional Viscounts. By 1958, TCA had an operational fleet of 51 Viscounts. Aviation author Peter Pigott later wrote: "For TCA and Vickers, the Viscount was a public-relations coup. Passengers loved the quiet ride and panoramic windows. No other airline in North America flew turbo-prop airliners then, and no other British aircraft

3750-492: The first time. The Two Airlines Policy was formally established in 1952 by the Fifth Menzies Ministry. The policy took practical effect when Ansett purchased the failing Australian National Airways in 1957, resulting in it being the only competitor for the government-owned TAA. Unstated was the requirement for both airlines to have identical equipment. The first North American airline to use turboprop aircraft

3825-479: The fleet in 1985. Long-haul operations that were once operated with the 707s were gradually shifted to the newly acquired Boeing 767-200ER aircraft; the first of them entered the fleet in late 1989. A British Aerospace BAe 146 was added to the fleet from the Zimbabwean Air force in the 1980s. Leased Fokker 50s were used from 1995 but proved unsuitable to the hot and high conditions and were returned to

SECTION 50

#1732782827261

3900-466: The flight the pilot was locked out of the cockpit, and had to use an axe to chop down the door. The newspaper later stated that this story was untrue. The carrier then sued the Chicago Tribune and also CNN , after it ran a story claiming it was the most dangerous airline in the world. [REDACTED] Media related to Air Zimbabwe at Wikimedia Commons Vickers Viscount This

3975-445: The fuselage from 65 ft 5 in (19.94 m) to 74 ft 6 in (22.71 m) and meant an increased wingspan of 89 ft (27 m). The contract for the aircraft to Air Ministry specification C.16/46 was signed on 9 March 1946 and Vickers allocated the designation Type 609 and the name Viceroy . Although George Edwards had always favoured the 800 hp Rolls-Royce Dart other engines were considered, including

4050-491: The government would absorb a US$ 140  million debt in order to make the company more attractive to foreign investors. Already in December 2011, the carrier struggled to provide its regional and overseas services amid aircraft impoundments over unpaid debts. In January 2012, the airline came under judicial management. Following a failed revival attempt, in which the pilots refused to resume domestic services over US$ 35  million in unpaid salaries and allowances, it

4125-464: The grass airfield at Wisley on 16 July 1948, piloted by Joseph "Mutt" Summers , Vickers' chief test pilot . The design was considered too small and slow at 275 mph (443 km/h), making the per-passenger operating costs too high for regular service, and BEA had placed an order for 20 piston-engined Airspeed Ambassadors in 1947. Retrospectively commenting on Britain's aviation industry, Duncan Burn stated: "Had BEA committed itself to full support of

4200-407: The impoundment of a leased aircraft from Zambezi Airlines over a US$ 460,000 unpaid debt. Operations resumed in late May 2011, following an agreement between the two airlines, yet the aircraft was repossessed by the owner in late June 2011. In mid-June 2011, flights to London and South Africa were temporarily suspended because of a due debt with fuel suppliers. Owing both to the grounding of

4275-489: The lessor. In late 2010 the airline announced it had ordered two Airbus A340-500s to serve the Harare–Beijing and Harare–London routes; the order was later cancelled after the company failed to raise the money. In late June 2011, Air Zimbabwe was forced to return the Boeing 737-500 it was hiring from Zambezi Airlines to partially compensate the lack of equipment following the grounding of its Boeing 737-200 fleet, as it

4350-539: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=AZW&oldid=745073896 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages Air Zimbabwe The company has been a member of the International Air Transport Association , and of

4425-465: The long-term successor to the Viscount. BEA, and its nationalised successor British Airways (BA), vigorously operated the Viscount on Britain's domestic routes. In the 1980s, BA began withdrawing its ageing Viscount fleet; all BA Viscount operations in Scotland had ended in 1982. Former BA aircraft were often sold on to charter operators such as British Air Ferries . Some airlines chose to replace

4500-465: The most successful and profitable of the first postwar transport aircraft; 445 Viscounts were built for a range of international customers, including in North America. The Viscount was a response to the 1943 Brabazon Committee's proposed Type II design for a postwar, small, medium-range, pressurised aircraft to fly less-travelled routes, carrying 24 passengers up to 1,750 mi (2,816 km) at 200 mph (320 km/h). During discussions between

4575-416: The previous year as a jet-powered replacement for the Viscount. SAA sold its last Viscount to British Midland in the 1970s. Central African Airways (CAA) had been a traditional customer of Vickers, already operating a number of Vickers Vikings when it received its first Viscount on 25 April 1956. The introduction of the Viscount roughly coincided with the opening of a major airport at Salisbury , and

SECTION 60

#1732782827261

4650-400: The regional route to Johannesburg, on a daily basis in April 2013, ahead of the 2013 Zimbabwe International Trade Fair . Approximately 600 employees out of more than 1,000 had been laid off by late May 2013 as part of cost-cutting measures aimed at recapitalising the airline. The Zimbabwe Tourism Authority revealed in June 2013 that the airline's market share suffered a steep decrease in

4725-435: The type, multiple independent charter operators, such as British Eagle , were quick to adopt the Viscount into their fleets. During the 1960s, the Viscount formed the backbone of domestic air travel in Scotland. The early operational service of the Viscount quickly proved it to have significant performance advances over its rivals, and orders rapidly rose as a result; up to November 1952, only 42 aircraft had been ordered; by

4800-662: The year ending 31 December 2012, with a 0.8% participation in this period down from 27% in the same period of 2009. In May 2017 Air Zimbabwe was added to the list of air carriers banned in the European Union as a result of not meeting EU safety standards. As of July 2017 , Air Zimbabwe's debts were estimated to be US$ 330  million. On 8 June 2018, it was reported that Air Zimbabwe has debts of more than $ 300 million and can no longer fly to most destinations due to threats by debtors to impound its aircraft. With mounting debt and only three of its aircraft operational,

4875-434: Was Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA), with a small fleet of Type 700 Viscounts. Initially, TCA was cautious of the Viscount due to the turboprop engine being a new technology, and a preference had existed for acquiring the piston-engined Convair CV-240 , instead; praise of the Viscount from pilots and a promise from Vickers to make any design changes desired by TCA persuaded it to procure the Viscount, instead. On 6 December 1954,

4950-461: Was a definite relief to be rid of the rough vibrations... The turboprop is an excellent shorthaul airplane and a definite crowd pleaser. The substitution of a lower constant-pitch noise and smoothness for the vibration, grunts, and groans of the piston engine gives the hesitant passenger a feeling of confidence." Viscount cabin windows were huge ellipses, 19 by 26 inches. Viscount operational costs were lower than many rival aircraft; Vickers projected

5025-420: Was announced on 24 February 2012 that Air Zimbabwe would be grounded indefinitely. In March of the same year, the government of Zimbabwe established Air Zimbabwe Private Limited as the new owner of the carrier after disbanding the airline's former parastatal owner Air Zimbabwe Holdings and absorbing a US$ 150  million debt. The airline resumed flying on a continuous basis in early May 2012, yet using

5100-594: Was bought by American airlines in such quantity." TCA operated the Viscount for two decades until Air Canada (TCA relabelled with a name equally at home in English and French), ended Viscount services in 1974. The type was replaced by the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 . Routine Flight (1955) featured the TCA introduction of the Viscount in this National Film Board of Canada documentary. TCA's procurement of

5175-465: Was bought in 1987 for domestic routes. Also in 1987, the airline announced its intentions to acquire Ilyushin Il-62s and -86s and Yakovlev Yak-42s instead of Western-built aircraft. These plans never materialised and Air Zimbabwe placed an order for two Boeing 767-200s . With registration Z-WPE and named "Victoria Falls", the first Boeing 767-200ER entered the fleet in November 1989. The Boeing 707

5250-623: Was hoping to resume London-Harare flights. Since March 2012 the airline has been operated through Air Zimbabwe Private Limited, which is wholly owned by the Zimbabwe Government, although there have long been plans to privatise the airline in some degree. Chipo Dyanda is the airline 's chairwoman, as of July 2017 . In October 2016, Simba Chikore was appointed to be the Chief Operating Officer (COO), amid much controversy and accusations of nepotism as he

5325-504: Was needed. Thus, pressurisation was required. The decision for pressurisation resulted in the double-bubble and elliptical fuselage designs being abandoned. A circular cross-section variant was offered at the beginning of 1946. The resulting 28-seat VC-2 was financed by the Ministry of Supply with an order for two prototypes. Before the contract was signed, though, the government asked for the capacity to be increased to 32. This stretched

5400-441: Was retired from serving long-haul routes shortly afterwards; these aircraft were still used to cover regional routes. The Viscount was definitely withdrawn from service in November 1989. The airline phased in the second 767-200ER (Z-WPF, named "Chimanimani") in late 1990. Two Fokker 50s were ordered in April 1995; they were delivered a month later. In February 2004, it was revealed that the company had been temporarily suspended by

5475-636: Was the first scheduled airline flight by any turbine-powered aircraft. The second prototype Viscount, the Type 663 testbed, had two Rolls-Royce Tay turbojet engines, and first flew in RAF markings as serial VX217 at Wisley on 15 March 1950. It was demonstrated at the Farnborough SBAC Show in September and was later used in the development of powered controls for the Valiant bomber. It later

5550-509: Was unable to afford the costs of its leasing. The aircraft was mainly used to operate the Harare–Johannesburg route; it was disclosed the company had to fly the route using one of their Boeing 767s. Despite versions for the acquisition of new aircraft were officially declined in July 2011 owing to a precarious cash position, it was disclosed that the airline bought an Airbus A340-500 and an Airbus A320 , both new, in August 2011. As of January 2012 , there had been discrepant versions over

5625-403: Was used as a test bed by Boulton Paul Ltd for the development of electronic flight-control systems. The designers then went back to the drawing board and the aircraft emerged as the larger Type 700 with up to 48 passengers (53 in some configurations), and a cruising speed of 308 mph (496 km/h). The new prototype G-AMAV first flew from Brooklands on 28 August 1950, and served as

#260739