By Rex Mphisa
THE Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (RIDA) will upgrade the Beitbridge Aerodrome surface for the now regular flights between the border town and Harare.
RIDA, through its air wing, Falcon Air, introduced what has become a popular service between the two points shortening travel time between Haare and Beitbridge.
But it is understood pilots want the dirt surface of the aerodrome hardened for what has becomedegular landing.
“We are going to improve the surface after pilots mentioned that such regular landing requires a hardened surface,” an official from RIDA told Ziyah News Network.
“There is a very huge possibility the surface will be tarred because the route is becoming popular,” he said.
After a slow start with just a few passengers, Falcon Air had become popular and almost getting its full capacity of 12 passengers.
The plane in its promotional phase charges $135 from Harare to Beitbridge and $120 for the return leg.
Taking off from Harare attracts a departure fee of $15 a head while Beitbridge is yet to levy something.
Falcon Air introduced its service to Beitbridge which most people said was long overdue.
Players in the tourism industry have hailed the development as a boost to opening up the potential in the southern part of the country playing second fiddle to the northern and eastern Highlands.
The south has two transfrontier conservation parks at Gonarezhou in the east shared by Zimbabwe, Mozambique and South Africa.
The Great Mapungubwe Transfrontier Conservation Area in the western part of the country is shared by Botswana, South Africa and Zimbabwe.
Besides there is the vast Bubye Valley Conservancy that straddles three provinces of Matabeleland South, Masvingo and Midlands.
The Bubye Valley Conservancy (BVC) is a privately owned wildlife area, established by a consortium of international investors who bought former Liebig’s Extract of Meat Company (LEMCO) ranch land in the 1990s.
Zimbabwean businessman Charles Davy led the initiative to convert it from cattle ranching into a successful wildlife haven and business for conservation.
It has a thriving black rhino revival enterprise where the almost extinct animal is bred.
It is also famous for the five, a world renowned tourist attraction.