BY MBONGENI NDLELA
MBABANE – His Majesty King Mswati III says the revival of the new airline, Eswatini Air, will go a long way in improving trade and access for citizens of Eswatini and Zimbabwe.
On April 15, Eswatini Airline made its inaugural flight into Zimbabwe, landing at the Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport to a water canon salute.
This was after the Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe granted foreign operator permits to Eswatini Air and Zambia Airways, enabling both countries to provide passenger and cargo services at Harare’s Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport.
The flight to and from Zimbabwe has brought relief to many travellers as it also comes with affordable costs. In fact, by road the distance between the two countries is 1 181.7 km, which is 16 hr 25 min drive.
However, by air travel the shortest distance between the two States is 864 km, which takes 0.96 hours to arrive.
On Thursday, His Majesty King Mswati III and Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa held bilateral talks at the Zimbabwe State House in Harare where matters of mutual cooperation were discussed.
His Majesty landed in Harare in the afternoon to mark the first day of a state visit at the invitation of the Zimbabwe President.
The two leaders later shared talks that were centred on reviewing existing agreements between the two countries and identifying areas that could be improved to incorporate current needs.
The King described the invitation to the Transform Africa Summit 2023 as highly beneficial for the country at a critical time of the digital era and thanked the president for the continued cordial relations that happily exist between the two countries.
“I look forward to attending the Trade Fair where we will get to see the best of what Zimbabwe has to offer and explore business opportunities. We also hope we will get an opportunity to share what Eswatini has to offer which expands into our culture,” he said.
When welcoming the King to the State House, President Mnangagwa thanked His Majesty for his support and solidarity.
“I look forward to our future meetings and Zimbabwe’s continued friendship with the Kingdom of Eswatini,” he said.
A state banquet in honour of the king’s visit is to be held on Thursday evening at the State House.
