Air Zimbabwe buys two new Airbus planes
Zimbabwe's struggling national airline, Air Zimbabwe is reported to have bought two new A340-200 Airbus passenger planes from France.
The deal is believed to have been financed by Mbada Diamonds, the company involved in the controversial Marange diamond fields, the Mail & Guardian reported.
The paper reports that a source at AirZim said a group of hand-picked pilots and air stewards left for Madrid, Spain, on Sunday to undergo a month's training on the new aircraft.
Another group is understood to have received similar training in Toulouse, France, last month.
Delivery of the planes was expected this week, but has been delayed. AirZim chairperson Jonathan Kadzura said: "Let's talk about this next week. I am not yet in a position to comment about this."
The conclusion of the Airbus deal and the training of new staff to run the aircraft is seen as the key reason for the government's relaxed attitude to the pay strike. The suspicion is that striking staff members will be sacked.
