SAA not booking new flights to Zimbabwe

SOUTH African Airways (SAA) is not booking new flights to Zimbabwe.

TimesLIVE phoned the airline on Wednesday afternoon to make a booking‚ but was told "because of the state of the country we cannot make bookings now".

She then said those who have already made bookings will be advised "as time goes on".

"If the flight is for tomorrow‚ they will email the passengers or call the passengers."

SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali said however: "Everything remains as normal as it was a week ago."

He added that: "We have not received any information or reports that make a recommendation that we should suspend services between the two countries due to security reasons."

TimesLIVE also called Flight Centre to book a flight to Zimbabwe and to ask whether there were any concerns about safety going to Zimbabwe. The flight centre consultant said: "We haven't heard anything as yet."

She then offered to provide a quote for a flight booking.

"Let me give you a price … Are you flexible with these dates or not?"

When asked again if there were travel concerns‚ she said there was no information "yet".

A travel advisory by Fastjet confirmed flights between South Africa and Zimbabwe and in-country are operating as per their normal schedule.

"Yet‚ we highly recommend guests to allow extra time ahead of their flight for check-in and screening procedures‚ as those may take more time than usual‚" spokesperson Hein Kaiser said.

The airline operates four daily round trip flights between Harare and Johannesburg as well as three weekly flights between Johannesburg and Victoria Falls and nine weekly flights between Harare and Victoria Falls.

Kaiser added: "Fastjet is continually monitoring the situation in Zimbabwe and will update its guests and the travel industry should circumstances change."

Air Zimbabwe told TimesLIVE that flights are continuing as normal.