Zimbabwe's debt-ridden national carrier Air Zimbabwe plunged deeper into crisis on Friday when a South African company seized one of its planes over an outstanding debt.
Air Zimbabwe's Boeing 737-500, one of the airline's short-haul planes, was seized at OR Tambo International Airport soon after landing after a flight from Harare.
The aircraft, the only operational aircraft Air Zimbabwe had after all of its other planes were grounded earlier in the week, was scheduled to return to Harare and pick up passengers flying to Bulawayo and Victoria Falls.
However, officials from Bid Air Services seized the plane and parked a lorry behind it to prevent any escape.
Bid Air demanded payment of $500000 for ground handling services that it said Air Zimbabwe owed.
A representative of Air Zimbabwe based at OR Tambo International Airport and an engineer who had flown to Johannesburg transferred passengers to the departure lounge and personally picked up passengers' baggage from the plane .
President Robert Mugabe was scheduled to fly to Victoria Falls yesterday to open a conference.
It is understood that Air Zimbabwe officials pleaded with Bid Air Services to release the plane so as not to embarrass Mugabe.
Their request was granted and the plane was released. It flew back to Harare after Bid Air gave Air Zimbabwe an extension until Tuesday to pay up.
Neither Air Zimbabwe acting CEO Innocent Mavhunga nor board chairman Jonathan Kadzura were available to comment on Friday.
http://www.businesslive.co.za
http://www.businesslive.co.za
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