Patrick Chinamasa said Harare had agreed with an unidentified Malaysian firm to buy four Boeing 777 planes for US$70 million (RM271 million) but had so far paid for two.

The government had also paid for a small Embraer plane and plans to add five more such aircraft.

The new planes are owned by a state-owned special purpose vehicle called Zimbabwe Aviation Leasing Company.

During a ceremony to receive the first Boeing 777 in Harare, Chinamasa said the aircraft would be used by Zimbabwe Airways, a new carrier whose ownership was not immediately disclosed.

Local media reports had linked Zimbabwe Airways and the new planes to former president Robert Mugabe’s family, but Chinamasa said that was false.

Chinamasa also refused to comment on speculation that the government could be the owner of the new airline and would ultimately dissolve the troubled Air Zimbabwe.

He said, however, the government could not continue supporting loss-making Air Zimbabwe because it was like “putting resources into a bottomless pit”. Air Zimbabwe has debts of more than US$300 million.

“Air Zimbabwe must put their house in order and as long as they don’t put their house in order, these planes I can lease to any third party who can pay treasury the lease fees for the utilisations of the aeroplanes,” Chinamasa said.

Chinamasa said the Boeing planes had a lifespan of 15 to 20 years.