Air Zimbabwe losing its wings

ZWNEWS.com - linking the world to Zimbabwe: "Air Zimbabwe losing its wings - and other

author/source:Zim Online (SA)
published:Tue 10-Aug-2004
posted on this site:Tue 10-Aug-2004

Three planes remain functional with the rest sitting dilapidated and stripped of almost all usable parts

Harare - Air Zimbabwe has been fleeced of spare parts worth more than $3 billion (US$ 200 million at unofficial exchange rate) in a scam involving senior managers at the national airline, ZimOnline has established. Investigations show that in the last six months alone at least 332 various components were stripped from the state carrier's ageing planes and sent out of the country, ostensibly for repairs. The parts can not be accounted for because they were allegedly sold by senior managers who are said to have set up a thriving racket selling air craft spares to foreign dealers. Air Zimbabwe acting managing director Tendai Mujuru refused to speak on the matter saying, 'I am sorry I cannot help you with that kind of information. I do not comment on anything to do with Air Zimbabwe. Please give me time to do my work. I cannot comment on things that newspapers want to write on.' Documents shown to ZimOnline outlined how the airline's avionics department would routinely send aircraft components for repairs to Europe and other countries in Africa. A number of these were never returned to Air Zimbabwe because they were allegedly sold by the repair companies when the airline failed to pay. In most cases the parts vanished."