Ethiopian Airlines Considering Investment In Air Zimbabwe

Big mistake Ethiopian. One does not “invest” in Zimbabwe. One has one’s capital extracted and expropriated by ZANU-PF, a criminal organization starving its own people

Lucky, I have noticed that you now sign yourself as Ben (Lucky). Nice!

Jesus Tap-Dancing Christ; why on Earth would Ethiopian consider this to be a wise investment?

@Mjolinor22’s comment is right in the money. If Ethiopian is looking to invest money I suggest they revamp their business class cabin.

I was in Zimbabwe for the first time in January and it is such a gorgeous country. Sadly, Mugabe's successor is equally corrupt and cruel; disliked and feared by every Zimbabwean I spoke to, leaving me worried about the country's future.

Best of luck to Ethiopian; Africa's airline success story. Some readers may be too young to know that it was TWA that nurtured Ethiopian in the carrier's early years (beginning in 1945), providing management expertise, maintenance and air crews.

To say there is “no airline and no planes flying” is incorrect. Air Zimbabwe is still flying regionally, on horribly aged 767-200s and 737-200s. They had a new(ish) A320 but no idea what happened to it. Despite the corruption, unreliability, and condition of the aircraft, the service and onboard product is actually not half bad.

Ben, tell everyone about the time you flew with”Gucci Grace” Mugabe in First Class on a Singapore Airlines flight some years ago. Hilarious story about Africa’s most corrupt (former) First Lady.

Please note there is only ONE operational (within limits as noted just recently) aircraft left, a 767-200. One of the two A320s has been parked in Johannesburg (ORT) for years and looks sad, the other one is as much out of service as the above mentioned 737-200, both parked at Harare airport.

@Matt - all of Air Zim's aircraft are presently grounded. The A320 has been impounded in Johannesburg for some years now due to unpaid maintenance debt.

@John S

While staying recently at The Saxon Hotel & Spa, in the wealthy Johannesburg suburb of Sandhurst, my driver pointed out Grace Mugabe's house, several blocks away. It is so enormous I had thought it was another luxury hotel. Grace is South African by birth, but cannot enter her home country because there is a warrant out for her arrest... Corruption on an unimaginable scale.

Ethiopian may be chewing more than they can swallow. They sure look like a success story but with all the investments they're making in all these troubled airlines all over Africa, they better be careful. They can become the Etihad of Africa.

Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 crashed just hours ago. Plane was a B737-Max.

Sad.

*

Another brand new 737 Max, according to Flightradar, just like in Lion Air case....very strange.

Certainly now the investment is off.