Pilot, air traffic controller shortages hit aviation industry

CLOUDINE MATOLA

Zimbabwe’s aviation industry is grappling with a worsening shortage of pilots and air traffic controllers as skilled professionals continue to leave for better-paying, tax-friendly jobs abroad, threatening the sector’s growth and competitiveness.

Industry executives warn that unless the government intervenes with tax incentives and policy reforms, the country risks losing more of its highly trained aviation workforce to airlines in the Middle East and Europe.

Speaking at the Zimbabwe Aviation Development Forum last week, Fastjet Zimbabwe executive director Farayi Chikuni said Zimbabwe has become a prime recruitment market for international airlines because of the high calibre of its aviation professionals.

“We have a general shortage of pilots and air traffic controllers within the country. The biggest challenge is that our pilots can go to the Middle East where they earn more and are not taxed,” Chikuni said.

“If there were mechanisms or policies to reduce the tax burden on pilots, we would be in a much better position to retain experienced professionals. Every time a new airline expands into Europe or the Middle East, they come to Zimbabwe to recruit. While that demonstrates the quality of our human capital, it also highlights the urgent need to retain these skills.”

Chikuni also called for Zimbabwe to align its aviation taxes and levies with regional benchmarks, arguing that the current cost structure is eroding the country’s competitiveness.

“We need to benchmark ourselves against the region. The levies that were introduced helped finance the development of our three international airports, and that objective has largely been achieved. The next step is to support industry growth through targeted investment and tax relief,” he said.

“We are not advocating the removal of taxes, but rather a reduction that stimulates domestic and regional air travel. Increased traffic would generate broader economic benefits, including the development of airports such as Masvingo and Mutare, while enabling airlines to recapitalise their fleets with both larger and smaller aircraft capable of serving more destinations. That would make Zimbabwe a more competitive and accessible destination.”

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructural Development, Engineer Joy Makumbe, said pilot training in Zimbabwe had historically been heavily subsidised through the Air Force of Zimbabwe, with graduates later transitioning into the civil aviation sector after completing mandatory bonding periods.

However, she noted that aviation training had become increasingly commercialised worldwide because of rising costs and the need for advanced equipment..

“…training of pilots in Zimbabwe was highly subsided by Government, through the recruitment into aviation training programmes by the Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ).

“Graduates from the AFZ would then transition into civil aviation after completion of prescribed bonding periods. Over the years, due to evolving training needs and expensive equipment, training of pilots and other aviation experts has been highly commercialised the world over.”

She said ATAZ was expanding rapidly after being accredited by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as a TrainAir Plus Bronze Member in February 2025.

“The ATAZ is growing in leaps and bounds and was accredited and recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation ICAO as a TrainAirPlus Bronze Member in February 2025.

“The Ministry and CAAZ continue to work together to capacitate ATAZ as the sole provider of Aviation Training to ameliorate the critical skills gap in the aviation sector. With these efforts, our medium to long term projections place Zimbabwe on a position where aviation training and human capital development will grow exponentially by 2030.”

Airlines Association of Southern Africa (AASA) chief executive Aaron Munetsi echoed the concerns, saying Zimbabwe’s aviation taxes remain significantly higher than regional norms.

“When you compare dollar-for-dollar using International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) benchmarks, Zimbabwe’s aviation taxes are considerably higher. Our last assessment showed they were almost 11% above the benchmark,” Munetsi said.

He said the industry also faces operational bottlenecks, including delays in importing aircraft spare parts, difficulties bringing in specialised maintenance technicians and persistent challenges in repatriating airline revenues.

“The availability of spare parts is a major issue. If an airline has an aircraft on ground (AOG) in Zimbabwe, obtaining replacement parts and bringing in technicians to carry out repairs can be difficult because of import procedures and labour-related issues,” he said.

Munetsi added that these operational constraints undermine Zimbabwe’s attractiveness as an aviation destination.

“The ease of doing business ultimately determines the attractiveness of a destination. Airlines tell us that, beyond the visible taxes, there is also what they describe as a ‘silent tax’—the challenge of repatriating funds. For some operators, that becomes the deciding factor. Several airlines have indicated they will not commence operations until that issue is resolved.”

He warned that while airlines forgo opportunities by staying away, Zimbabwe also loses the broader economic benefits that aviation generates through tourism, trade and investment.

Despite these challenges, Munetsi said Zimbabwe’s strategic geographical location continues to attract strong international interest.

“Globally, there is considerable goodwill towards Zimbabwe because of its location. Airlines, particularly from the Asia-Pacific region, are keen to establish commercial partnerships and codeshare agreements. We should seize that opportunity rather than allow policy and operational barriers to stand in the way,” he said.