LGWflyer From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2011, 2348 posts, RR: 1 Posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 8144 times:
Air Zimbabwe has suspended its LGW route. This is hardly no surprise after one of their aircraft (Z-WPF) was impounded here in December. One thing though I will miss about them not being here is how loud their old 762's are!
RWA380 From United States of America, joined Feb 2005, 2221 posts, RR: 4 Reply 1, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 3 days 11 hours ago) and read 8072 times:
How much of Air Zimbabwe is left? Do they have any operating aircraft that can do Intl routes? Or are they limited to domestic and regional flying with questionable aircraft? As an ex-Rhodesian it's very sad to see this happening in the country, my cousin once piloted for Air Zim, but his recountings of things made it seem this was all inevitable.
Next Flights: AS PDX-SAN-LIH on 739/738 in F, HA LIH-HNL-KOA-OGG on 717 in Y, AS OGG-PDX on 738 in F
LGWflyer From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2011, 2348 posts, RR: 1 Reply 2, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 3 days 10 hours ago) and read 7958 times:
Quoting RWA380 (Reply 1): How much of Air Zimbabwe is left? Do they have any operating aircraft that can do Intl routes? Or are they limited to domestic and regional flying with questionable aircraft? As an ex-Rhodesian it's very sad to see this happening in the country, my cousin once piloted for Air Zim, but his recountings of things made it seem this was all inevitable.
They have seem to have roughly three 732's and one (maybe two) 762's. It seems they have a couple other international routes but I doubt they are flying them at the moment as they have hardly any money for fuel etc... According to the news it seems they are flying with the 732's on short-haul though.
There is some info on wiki which might explain a little better:
RoseFlyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 8791 posts, RR: 51 Reply 3, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 7757 times:
It looks like it was orders directly from Mugabe that they stop serving South Africa and the UK because he is afraid of airplanes being seized over debts. I'm not sure if this is because he wants to use them for his holidays as the article implies (below quote) or that he is concerned about the health and viability of the airline as they work through the debt crisis
Local media reported that Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe personally ordered the move after he was apparently forced to charter a jet for his Christmas holiday when his usual plane became stranded in Britain.
The Radio VoP news website reported: 'The Minister of Transport and Communications, Nicholas Goche, has issued a circular to stop Air Zimbabwe management from flying its aircraft to South Africa and the United Kingdom where one of its long haul Boeing 767 aircraft was recently impounded over an outstanding debt.'
Sources at Air Zimbabwe told Radio VoP that the minister took the drastic action last week after he got a tongue-lashing from Mugabe
Dictator: President Robert Mugabe nearly missed his Christmas holiday to the Far East after the long-haul plane was impounded in London. The president nearly missed his annual holiday to the Far East after the long-haul plane that he normally uses to travel on outside trips was impounded in London.
If you have never designed an airplane part before, let the real designers do the work!
PROSA From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 5440 posts, RR: 5 Reply 4, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 3 days 9 hours ago) and read 7677 times:
"Thank you for flying Air Zimbabwe. As soon as the Captain turns off the seat belt sign our flight attendants will be coming by with complementary coffee, soft drinks and snacks. A selection of beer, wine and cocktails are available for purchase, with each selection priced at ten quadrillion Zimbabwe dollars. Please have exact change if possible."
"Let me think about it" = the coward's way of saying "no"
LGWflyer From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2011, 2348 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 3 days 3 hours ago) and read 7196 times:
Quoting RoseFlyer (Reply 3): It looks like it was orders directly from Mugabe that they stop serving South Africa and the UK because he is afraid of airplanes being seized over debts. I'm not sure if this is because he wants to use them for his holidays as the article implies (below quote) or that he is concerned about the health and viability of the airline as they work through the debt crisis
I never knew he actually used the 762's all for himself whenever he wanted to. Couldn't imagine recieving the news that your flight is cancelled because Mugabe wanted to use the aircraft for himself. The article stated he was flying out around christmas, so I wonder when he will return (might have already come back) and charter the aircraft again. Then again though I don't think the 762's are doing anything at the moment.
slinky09 From United Kingdom, joined Jun 2009, 622 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 7000 times:
Quoting RoseFlyer (Reply 3): Local media reported that Zimbabwean president Robert Mugabe personally ordered the move after he was apparently forced to charter a jet for his Christmas holiday when his usual plane became stranded in Britain.
Doesn't that make you sick, a virtual dictator who presides over a country where the average life expectancy has fallen from 62 to 48 since he came to power, has both Christmas holidays and chartered jets while millions suffer.
As far as I'm aware, there are two. One in the new livery (Which was impounded) and one in the old (which was far better!).
I'd love to know what this bloke is on about, in the comments section of the article posted in the opening post;
"Mr Mugabe was given two passenger aircraft by the Chinese some five or six years ago for his personal use. Unfortunately, one broke down during delivery from the Beijing factory and ended up as spare parts for the other plane. Even more unfortunately, Mugabe refused to use the gifts after his flight to Dar es Salaam in the second aircraft became hopelessly lost (and was rumoured to have eventually put down in Angola). Conscious of his inestimable value to his nation, he has elected to commandeer a safe plane so that others might enjoy the thrill of Chinese aeronautical engineering."
Some Daily Mail fan spouting crap, or is there any info behind this?
sw733 From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 6108 posts, RR: 10 Reply 13, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 3107 times:
Quoting LGWflyer (Reply 12): I also still can't believe you could book a flight with them and it could be cancelled because Mugabe wants to use the plane himself.
LGWflyer From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2011, 2348 posts, RR: 1 Reply 15, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 2498 times:
Quoting Viscount724 (Reply 14): Maybe they can find a couple of their former 707s (ex-LH) and return them to service.
You know if they ever returned to LGW I would love to see a 707! Just imagine the noise and smoke from the engines, beats an easyJet on take-off anyday.
Also interesting pic, the angle its at so low to the ground reminds me of a model aircraft.
Lufthansa From Christmas Island, joined May 1999, 3087 posts, RR: 10 Reply 16, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 2377 times:
AFGMEL From Australia, joined Jul 2007, 735 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 12 hours ago) and read 2208 times:
Quoting LGWflyer (Reply 6): Couldn't imagine recieving the news that your flight is cancelled because Mugabe wanted to use the aircraft for himself.
Happened all the time. Also flights from London being ordered to Cairo or elsewhere to pick up various government officials including himself. Appalling dictatorship. Even by maniacal dictator standards.
teneriffe77 From United States of America, joined Jul 2006, 426 posts, RR: 0 Reply 19, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 1 day 9 hours ago) and read 2028 times:
Reminds me of some of the problems that Philippine Airlines had during the Marcos dictatorship and all the trouble that caused.
SepulTALLICA From Zimbabwe, joined Sep 2009, 188 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (1 year 5 months 2 weeks 16 hours ago) and read 1805 times:
Just as well. The only plane that was operating as of today was a 732 plying the domestic routes between HRE, BYO and VFA has been grounded, this time due to a union dispute over non payment of wages. As always, the inept board of UM is awaiting the Fiscus to bail them out of their incompetence. Hopefully, Tendai Biti will flip them the bird and UM will die a long awaited death.
Anyway, at a balling-ass partay last night, i gots to talking to some peeps in the travel industry here, and from what they have heard, BA should be back on the LHR-HRE route before year end, in addition to QR opening DOH-HRE (whether via LUN vis-a-vis EK who will be opening DXB-LUN-HRE-LUN-DXB from Feb 01, is anyone's guess).
As always with rumour and speculation, if anyone either at BA or QR could shed some light on the above rumours?
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