Zimbabwe considers cheaper fuel to lure foreign airlines

Martin Rushmere THE ZIMBABWE government is mulling over a suggestion from the Civil Aviation Authority to sell cheaper fuel to foreign aircraft. The authority wants to buy fuel direct from the oil companies, cutting out the levies from the stateÕs National Oil Company, and a compulsory debt service levy. According to the authority the price of one litre of Jet A1 at Harare is US$1,07 compared with only 30 cents at Johannesburg, 47 cents at Lusaka and 34 cents at Windhoek. The authority says there is an urgent need to entice foreign airlines back into the country and another of its proposals is to offer free landing fees to new arrivals. The fee for a Boeing 737 is US$300.