By Takunda Maodza
CRISIS-RIDDEN Air Zimbabwe suffered another knock yesterday when Zambezi Airlines withdrew its plane which the national airline was leasing over a US$460 000 debt.
This comes as the national airline's workers also besieged the company's airport head office demanding payment of their April salaries.

The workers said they were also angry with the manner in which the parastatal was being run.
They believe mismanagement is to blame for losses being incurred.

Workers are reportedly owed salaries dating back to 2009.
The latest development comes barely a week after the International Air Transport Association (IATA) suspended Airzim - one of Africa's oldest airlines - over a US$280 000 debt.

AIR ZIMBABWE RELATED ARTICLES

• Fire Airzim top brass
• Air Zimbabwe battles to pay salaries, again.
• Air Zimbabwe needs overhaul
  
• Whither Air Zimbabwe?
  

The suspension would make it impossible for Airzim clients to make bookings from abroad.
Zambezi Airlines' decision resulted in the cancellation of some regional flights.

Highly-placed sources at Airzim said Zambezi Airlines - which was paid US$1,8 million deposit at the beginning of the lease - on Monday notified the parastatal of its intention to withdraw its plane, but nothing was done to avert the situation.

Airzim is facing cash flow challenges and signed the lease agreement with Zambezi Airlines after its pilots went on strike two months ago.
"Zambezi Airlines withdrew its Boeing 737-500 today. They are owed a certain amount by Air Zimbabwe," said a source.

The source said there were signs that all was not well on Monday night when on landing at the Harare International Airport, the Air Zambezi plane flew back to Lusaka.
"Its crew that was based at the Rainbow Towers was also recalled," added the source.

Airzim retired three Boeing 737-300s a month ago and entered into a deal with Zambezi Airlines to service the routes.
The 737-300 planes are said to be obsolete.

Zambezi Airlines offices in Harare would not comment on the matter yesterday, referring The Herald to its Lusaka head offices.
Secretary for Transport, Communication and Infrastru-cture Development Mr Partson Mbiriri said he was not aware Zambezi Airlines had withdrawn its plane.

"I am in Geneva at the moment and I am not aware of such a development," he said.
Tension was high at the parastatal as workers yesterday said job security was no longer certain.

"We are yet to be paid part of our April salaries and we doubt whether the company would be able to raise our May salaries. We met in the morning and resolved to confront management over this and other issues. We believe the airline is not being managed properly," said an employee who could not be named.

The workers are unhappy that Airzim entered into a deal with Zambezi Airlines, a competitor.
Some workers claim they were unable to pay school fees for their children because of non-payment of April salaries.

"We were later addressed by acting Air Zimbabwe chief executive officer Mr Innocent Mavhunga who said he was going to engage the Ministry of Transport, Communication and Infrastructural Development and highlight our concerns," said an employee.

However, Mr Mavhunga could not be drawn into commenting yesterday, as he said he was in a meeting.
Airzim has been saddled with a cocktail of problems, among them, the recent pilots' strike over unpaid salaries that paralysed the airline for weeks last month.