BULAWAYO – The Airport Company of Zimbabwe (ACZ) has embarked on a marketing drive to increase capacity utilisation in the country’s airports.

In an interview with ZimLive this week, ACZ’s chief executive officer Tawanda Gusha said they had partnered with numerous stakeholders to increase business at the airports.

“As the Airport Company of Zimbabwe (Private) Limited, we have an air service development strategy which includes targeted marketing campaigns for targeted airlines.

“We do this collaboratively with other stakeholders in the travel and tourism industry, both from the public and private sectors,” he said.

‘We have established a destination management organisation with stakeholders in Victoria Falls and we intend to have the same for the country as a whole.”

Gusha said the marketing strategies being implemented aimed to increase capacity utilisation from 20 percent to 50 percent.

“The current capacity utilisation is around 20 percent but we have just increased capacity with the opening of the new Robert Gabriel Mugabe (RGM) International Airport.

“We intend to grow capacity utilisation to at least 50 percent with the other ongoing initiatives,” he said.

He added: “The upgrading of infrastructure at RGM International Airport is expected to attract more traffic as the facilities are capable of handling the largest passenger aircraft in operation.”

RGM airport was refurbished at a cost of US$153 million with the aim to enhance air transport systems in the country.

A thriving air transport is an economic engine that generates jobs, strengthens trade and connectivity between people and countries, promotes tourism, and connects remote communities.