The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) has given staff at all the country’s airports training in customer service to improve the movement and clearing of passengers.

CAAZ Public Relations Manager, Anna Hungwe, says the two-day intensive refresher training course was conducted in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe’s second largest city. “This is now refresher training; we have gone through the initial training. It’s called the ‘Common Customer Service Training’. It includes all airport operators: CAAZ employees, Immigration Department, Zimbabwe Revenue Authority, Airport Taxi Operators, airport retailers and National Handling Services staff, among others,” says Hungwe.

She says the refresher course addressed gaps, if any – but most importantly keeps soft skills and attitudes up to date.

The training comes at an opportune time as the country’s airports are now handling over 1.7 million passengers annually, with the numbers expected to surge in 2019, buoyed by airlines such as Turkish Airlines that hinted they will fly into Zimbabwe next year.

Some airlines flying into Zimbabwe also indicated that they would increase the frequency of their flights, or introduce bigger aircraft.

CAAZ is the government body responsible for regulating the aviation sector in Zimbabwe. Functions include the provision of air navigation and technical services, airport development and operations as well as regulating and enforcing flight safety and standards.

The authority also manages and maintains the country’s airports which include Robert Mugabe International Airport (Harare), Victoria Falls International Airport (Victoria Falls), Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport (Bulawayo) and other small airports and airstrips dotted around the country.