HARARE Dec 16 (Reuters) – Zimbabwe’s state-owned
airline has suspended flights to neighbouring South Africa over
fears its planes could be seized for outstanding debts, a senior
airline official told state media.
Air Zimbabwe acting chief executive Innocent Mavhunga said
the corporation, which is struggling to pay off debts of over
$140 million, had decided to temporarily stop its daily flights
to Johannesburg to avoid creditors there.
“We are not flying into South Africa. We are trying to
secure funding to pay our debts in South Africa,” he was
reported as saying.
Mavhunga however was unavailable on Friday to explain why
Air Zimbabwe was not worried about continuing flights to other
foreign destinations, Lusaka in Zambia and Lubumbashi in the
Democratic Republic of Congo.
Earlier this week, Air Zimbabwe scrambled for days for money
to save a Boeing 767-200 which had been impounded on landing at
London’s Gatwick Airport after a U.S. firm, American General
Supplies, got a court order for $1.2 million owed for aircraft
spares.
Last week, a South African airport support services company,
Bid Air, forced Air Zimbabwe to ground a plane in Johannesburg
as it pressed for payment of a $500,000 debt.
Economic analysts say Air Zimbabwe is on the verge of
collapse after years of mismanagement and poor funding by
President Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party.
The suspension does not cut the Harare-Johannesburg route
since South African Airways has three flights daily and
British Airways’ Comair also has a daily flight.
(Reporting by Cris Chinaka; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
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