HARARE - Ozias Bvute has been appointed board chairman of the troubled Air Zimbabwe (AirZim).

Transport minister Nicholas Goche yesterday said Bvute is set to “change the fortunes of the national airline.”

“Bvute and his team are set to head the financially troubled institution. We need a national airline but we do not have adequate funds from treasury. It is the impossible task of this team to revive that airline,” Goche said.

Gabriel Mugabe, who was part of the old board, has been retained as vice chairman.

Other members are Michael Hove, Nathan Chikono, Laura Gwatiringa, Alex Makanda and Locadia Majonga.

Munesu  Munodawafa, the Transport ministry’s  permanent secretary  said the appointment of the board was part of measures being implemented to restore viability at Air Zimbabwe.

He said appointment of the board was in line with recommendations by advisory firm Ernst & Young, hired in May last year to seek ways of reviving the airline and audit its financials.

“We have been working with a consultant Ernst & Young to come up with a business plan to revive Air Zimbabwe,” he said.

The restructuring exercise includes concluding the retrenchment of 409 employees who are yet to be relieved of their duties due to shortage of funds to finance the exercise.

“When restructuring was first mooted it meant 409 people were to be retrenched with funds for the exercise coming from Treasury, but that money has not come so those workers have not been retrenched.

“Until we retrench them according to the laws of Zimbabwe, they will continue to be on the books of Air Zimbabwe,” he said.