AirZim planes are death traps?

Air Zimbabwe planes have no functioning  oxygen masks inside their planes, it has been alleged.

A prominent medical doctor from Bulawayo who declined to be named for professional reasons narrated to us that last week a passenger developed a complication inside the plan and they tried to administer oxygen to her but all the tanks were empty.

"I was traveling with my colleague from Harare to Bulawayo aboard AirZimbabwe last week and suddenly when we were just leaving one female passenger developed a medical complication and we tried to help her.

"We asked for oxygen and all the tanks were empty, the flight had to do emergence landing and the passengers had to disembark while medical care was sought for the passenger.

"A rescue ambulance had to bring the oxygen and the flight delayed for about an hour." The doctor said.

In October, Air Zimbabwe passengers were left seething with anger at the weekend after a plane chattered by the troubled flag-carrier developed problems mid-air only to be refused emergency landing in Bulawayo.

The South Africa-registered plane developed technical problems mid-air while returning to Harare. The pilot reportedly requested emergency landing at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport only to be told that it was closed for the night.

Air Zimbabwe runs a tiny fleet of ageing aircraft: two Boeings, an Airbus and one propeller plane. The company has been severely mismanaged and is currently struggling under a debt of around $300 million.

The company has since been put under Reconstruction.