South African company seize Air Zimbabwe plane

Zimbabwe's debt-ridden national carrier, Air Zimbabwe, plunged deeper into crisis after a South African company seized one of its planes over an outstanding debt.

Air Zimbabwe's Boeing 737-500, one of the airline's short-haul planes, was impounded at OR Tambo International Airport just after landing from Harare on Friday, Sunday Times reported.

The aircraft, the only operational aircraft for Air Zimbabwe after all of its lanes were grounded last week, was scheduled to return to Harare and pick up passengers flying to Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.

However, officials from Bid Air Services detained the plane and parked a lorry behind the aircraft to block it.

Bid Air demanded payment of $500 000 for ground-handling services, which Air Zimbabwe had neglected to pay.

An Air Zimbabwe representative, based at the national airline's offices at OR Tambo , and an engineer who had flown to Johannesburg transferred passengers to the departure lounge and personally picked up baggage from the plane after Bid Air Services declined to provide the service.

President Mugabe was scheduled to fly to Victoria Falls yesterday to open a conference organised by the Zimbabwe Local Government Association.

Officials at Air Zimbabwe were desperately trying to negotiate with Bid Air Services for the release of the company's only operational plane, so as not to embarrass Mugabe.

The airplane was later released and returned to Harare after Bid Air agreed give Air Zimbabwe until Tuesday to pay.