Air Zimbabwe resumes London flights

• Air Zim cancels London flights over debt

• Air Zimbabwe hikes fares by 500%

• Student: 'Why I tried to hijack SAA plane'

• Chinese experts examine doomed MA60

• Air Zim plane bursts tyres in forced landing

• Zim student charged over SAA plane hijack

• Zim student in SAA plane hijack drama

• British pilot fined over ammunition in luggage

• Mugabe's decorated pilot dies

• Zimbabwe takes delivery of Chinese MA60

• Flailing Air Zimbabwe cuts flights by fifth

• Mugabe, Mujuru clash over Air Zimbabwe

• Air Zimbabwe resumes flights

• Mugabe commandeers Air Zim plane to Rome

• Air Zimbabwe flies 3 passengers

• Air Zimbabwe plane impounded at Gatwick

• Air Zimbabwe planes grounded by fuel shortage

By Staff Reporter

NATIONAL carrier Air Zimbabwe will resume flights to Britain this week, just days after suspending the route over fears that a European navigation agency may seize its planes over a $2.8 million debt.

"We have settled the outstanding amount, and Air Zimbabwe will be resuming its schedule and flying to London on Wednesday evening," David Mwenga, the airline spokesperson told reporters.

Air Zimbabwe cancelled its flights to the British capital on the weekend after the Agency for the Safety of Air Navigation won a court order empowering it to impound the airline's planes to recover a debt accrued over four years.

The southern African nation, in its eighth year of recession, is struggling with a deep economic crisis, marked by the world's highest inflation rate, 70% unemployment and chronic shortages of food, fuel and foreign currency.

State companies have struggled to pay their debts. Mike Bimha, the Air Zimbabwe chairman, was quoted by state media as saying that the flights to Zimbabwe's former colonial master had been suspended as a security measure while the airline searched for a solution to resume its services to London.

London is the main destination for travellers from the former British colony and Air Zimbabwe runs daily flights.

Two weeks ago, Air Zimbabwe announced fare increases of up to 500% on both international and domestic routes.

Dwindling tourism numbers have contributed significantly to the carrier's problems as visitors from traditional tourism markets, such as the United States and western Europe, have shunned the southern African country.

Air Zimbabwe acting chief executive officer Oscar Madombwe told members of parliament earlier this year that passenger numbers slumped from one million in 1999 to 23 000 last year. - Reuters/Staff Reporter
JOIN THE DEBATE ON THIS ARTICLE ON THE NEWZIMBABWE.COM FORUMS
newsdesk@newzimbabwe.com