New air link shortens Harare–Beitbridge business travel
by FHATU MULAUDZI
BEITBRIDGE – IN a bid to slash travel time and open up new commercial links, Zimbabwe’s state-owned Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA)-run airline, Falcon Air, is launching a scheduled service between Harare and Beitbridge with one-way fares just above US$120.
The 1-hour flight replaces a five-plus hour drive along the heavy-traffic A4 corridor.
RIDA teams recently met with Beitbridge stakeholders, aiming to commence flights in about two weeks. The initial service is expected as semi-scheduled twice a week, with up-scaling planned on demand.
According to Falcon Air Director of Flight Operations, Gift Chigorimbo, 12-passenger twin-engined aircraft will fly the route, carrying both passengers and up to a ton of cargo.
“This new air link will tap into shipping, logistics and cross-border business that flows through Zimbabwe’s busiest land border,” said Chigorimbo.
The Harare–Beitbridge route is largely unserved by scheduled carriers, which focus on tourist routes such as Harare–Victoria Falls.
That gap underscores why there is currently no airline linking Bulawayo to Beitbridge—a market perception of minimal demand and weak infrastructure has kept carriers away.
For Zimbabwe’s business community, the flight opens opportunities: expedited movement of executives, critical parts, medical supplies and high-value goods between Harare and the border economy.
Trade logistics firms at Beitbridge expect quicker turnaround and premium air-freight services to complement the daily truck flows.
As one industry source put it: “Shortening the link between the capital and the border could be a game-changer for regional trade.”
Falcon Air’s success will hinge on sustained demand and viable cargo loads; if the route proves resilient, expansion to Bulawayo–Beitbridge or other regional links may follow.
– CAJ News
