News / National
Air Zimbabwe may cancel flights to SA because its planes could be impounded
05 Dec 2011 at 15:14hrs | Views
Harare - Air Zimbabwe might cancel flights to South Africa because its planes could be impounded in Johannesburg over unpaid bills, aviation sources said on Monday.
Debts to a South African baggage handling company have piled up to such an extent that daily flights from Harare to Johannesburg might end.
Last Friday, an Air Zimbabwe Boeing 737-500 plane was impounded at OR Tambo airport for several hours.
Bid Air Services, the main baggage handling company in South Africa, seized the plane after Air Zimbabwe failed to pay $500 000 to clear unpaid bills.
"A forklift truck was parked at the back of the plane so it couldn't leave," an Air Zimbabwe engineer told dpa.
Passengers had to ferried to the terminal building by trucks because no buses were provided.
The airline continued flying to and from Johannesburg over the weekend and on Monday, but sources would not say whether flights would continue into Tuesday.
Huge debts and mismanagement have brought Air Zimbabwe to its current crisis.
Debts to a South African baggage handling company have piled up to such an extent that daily flights from Harare to Johannesburg might end.
Last Friday, an Air Zimbabwe Boeing 737-500 plane was impounded at OR Tambo airport for several hours.
Bid Air Services, the main baggage handling company in South Africa, seized the plane after Air Zimbabwe failed to pay $500 000 to clear unpaid bills.
Passengers had to ferried to the terminal building by trucks because no buses were provided.
The airline continued flying to and from Johannesburg over the weekend and on Monday, but sources would not say whether flights would continue into Tuesday.
Huge debts and mismanagement have brought Air Zimbabwe to its current crisis.
Source - Sapa
