A ZIMBABWEAN delegation is in the United Arab Emirates negotiating a direct flight between the two countries, specifically targeting a route connecting Dubai directly to the resort city of Victoria Falls.
The negotiations are part of a broader push by Zimbabwe to tap into the millions of international tourists who transit through the Dubai aviation hub.
On Monday, Zimbabwe’s Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Isaac Moyo and the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development permanent secretary, Engineer Joy Makumbe, held an engagement with officials from Etihad Airways.
Posting on its X Handle, the Zimbabwe Embassy confirmed the development.
“Today, 18 May 2026, Ambassador Isaac Moyo led the Zimbabwe delegation’s engagement with Etihad Airways as the plan to introduce a direct flight between Abu Dhabi and Harare gathers momentum,” said the Embassy.
Etihad Airways is one of the two flag carriers of the United Arab Emirates (the other being Emirates), and its head office is in Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi, near Zayed International Airport.
The airline commenced operations in November 2003 and is the second-largest airline in the UAE after Emirates.
The airline operates more than 1 000 flights per week, to over 120 passenger and cargo destinations in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, Asia, Australia, and North America, with a fleet of 107 Airbus and Boeing aircraft as of July 2025.
This development follows engagements held in February this year between Tourism and Hospitality Industry Minister Barbara Rwodzi and top executives from Emirates Airline, led by deputy president and chief commercial officer Mr Adnan Kazim, on the sidelines of the World Governments Summit in the UAE.
During the meeting, Minister Rwodzi acknowledged the airline’s significant contribution to the growth, recovery and global positioning of Zimbabwe’s tourism sector, which has propelled the country onto the global travel spotlight.
This momentum culminated in Zimbabwe being named the World’s Number One Must-Visit Destination by Forbes in 2025.
Building on this progress, the engagements explored enhanced air connectivity, with particular focus on prospects for a direct Dubai–Victoria Falls route, positioning Victoria Falls International Airport as a Kavango Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA) regional hub, supported by the KAZA UniVisa and its technical capacity to accommodate wide-body aircraft, including the A380.
During the meeting in February, the teams had agreed that a delegation of experts would be deployed to assess Victoria Falls International Airport’s capacity, and if satisfied, the signing of the deal is likely to be done by mid-year.-herald
