Nigel Pfunde
Local commercial airliner and charter services provider Executive Air is under scrutiny following allegations that the airline is violating several Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (CAAZ) regulations, Express Mail Zimbabwe can reveal.
Chief among the alleged gross violations of aviation regulations is the disregard for the age limit of pilots flying commercial planes.
According to Zimbabwean law, the maximum age at which a pilot can operate commercial air transport is 65.
These regulations fall under Section 79 (1) of the Civil Aviation Act [Chapter 13:16], as outlined in the Civil Aviation (Operations of Aircraft) Regulations, 2023. The same standard aligns with EASA rules, which serve as benchmarks for global best practices.
Investigations conducted by Express Mail Zimbabwe revealed that Executive Air Director Ed Mordt and Manager Caroline Puzey are acting as chief pilots despite exceeding the stipulated age limit.
“Executive Air’s operations pose a significant risk to commercial air travellers. The likelihood of airborne collisions and accidents is high.
“The director, Mordt, and Carol, do not meet the required age limit of 65 for commercial charter services. Authorities must intervene to end this risky circus where people’s lives are at stake.
“I only know of one young pilot; his name is Zoro Nyamakura,” said one of the multiple sources, who preferred anonymity for fear of reprisal.
Express Mail Zimbabwe also established that one of Executive Air’s planes was involved in an accident in Kariba last year with Caroline Puzey onboard. Fortunately, there were no casualties.
When the Express Mail Zimbabwe news crew visited Charles Prince Airport on Tuesday, several sources confirmed the allegations, although they chose to remain anonymous.
On its official website, Executive Air boasts of providing passenger and cargo flights to destinations within Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries such as Zambia, Mozambique, South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia.
“For those of you travelling Zimbabwe on business, we can cater for you to reach some of the most inaccessible parts of our country where some of our best mines are located. We also welcome you to take advantage of our local and regional flights, making business trips to the more remote areas in Southern Africa possible within a limited time frame,” reads part of their mission statement.
When contacted for comment, company director Mordt was evasive and neither confirmed nor denied the allegations.
In an emailed response, he wrote:
“With regard to your query, we have no comment.”
Repeated efforts to obtain a comment from CAAZ authorities were unsuccessful, as they were unavailable at the time of writing.
Express Mail Zimbabwe interviewed several business executives who frequently use air travel. A common concern among them was aviation safety and regulatory compliance regarding Executive Air.
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The post Time Bomb: Commercial Airliner Executive Air Under Fire for Violating CAAZ Regulations on Pilots’ Age Limit appeared first on iHarare News.
