Zimbabwe recorded an increase of 52.3% in passengers for both domestic and international flights in 2022 compared with the previous year.
This came as the tourism sector continued to rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (ZIMSTAT) said last week.
The number of flights had increased to 50 640 in 2022, up from 33 254 recorded in 2021, ZIMSTAT said in its transport statistics report for the period 2018-2022.
2020 recorded the lowest number of both domestic (8 013) and international (9 005) flights, according to ZIMSTAT.
After consistently declining from 2018 to 2020, the number of air transport passengers rebounded in 2021, with the country’s main airport, Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare, recording a 97.3% increase in air passengers in 2022 compared with 2021, ZIMSTAT said.
Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in the second largest city of Bulawayo registered an 82.6% increase.
ZIMSTAT said international air passengers had accounted for more than 80% of the total air passengers during the 2018-2022 period.
