Latest News Editor's Choice


News / National

Air Zimbabwe booted out of IATA

by Staff reporter
20 Jun 2012 at 07:18hrs | Views
Zimbabwe's and debt-ridden flag carrier, Air Zimbabwe has been booted out of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), in a fresh setback for the ailing airline.

Information obtained exclusively by Radio VOP this week show that the world aviation body booted Air Zimbabwe out of its registry last week after the airline failed to renew its registration with IATA's Operational Safety Audit (IOSA).

"Please be advised that tomorrow, June 14, 2012, Air Zimbabwe will be removed from the IOSA registry as the operator failed to renew its registration before the expiry date," reads part of a letter written to Edmund Makona, Air Zimbabwe's Lead Auditor, Quality and IOSA Project Coordinator by Catalin Cotrut, IATA's director for Global

Audit Programs, which was seen by Radio VOP.

IOSA is the benchmark for global safety management in airlines and all IATA members are registered and must remain registered in order to maintain IATA membership.

However, Air Zimbabwe failed to renew its registration with IATA because of the operational problems currently affecting the airline, which culminated in the grounding and suspension of all of its aircraft in January. The registration process, which was due on June

23, is carried out after every two years.

Insiders at Air Zimbabwe said IATA personnel failed to conduct the registration exercise on the airline because there was no personnel and operational aircraft to audit at Air Zimbabwe including routes to assess its safety records. "Air Zimbabwe is officially out of IATA. The airline was dead when IATA people visited us because there was no one to audit," said the insiders.

The condemnation of Air Zimbabwe by IATA, which represents, leads and serves the airline industry and whose members comprise all major passenger and cargo airlines is the latest setback for the airline, which suspended regional and international flights in January owing to debts and a crippling job action by employees.

Source - radiovop
More on: #AirZimbabwe, #IATA