The Zimbabwean government recently announced it may hike navigation fees for foreign airlines operating in the state's airspace, sparking scrutiny from the Zimbabwean Board of Airline Representatives (BAR).
The new regulation may result in increased operating costs for international airlines, potentially discouraging them from operating in the Zimbabwean market, argues the BAR.
In 2020, the African Airlines Association (Afraa), published a report Air Navigation Service Charges in Africa which revealed that airlines' operational costs are greatly impacted by charges for air-navigation services. Furthermore, the report claimed that the cost of air navigation affects carriers' choice of routes to be flown and also hikes airfares for passengers.
According to Zimbabwean online news site newsday.co.zw , the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe's (CAAZ) Director General, Alijah Chingosho , said that the fee was reviewed following the publishing of ICAOs latest guiding principles. The principles called for upgraded airspace management infrastructure and enhanced safety.
According to Chingosho, CAAZ and all stakeholders agreed to the tariff review and found it to be justified by the improved air-navigation infrastructure.
