Air Zimbabwe fails to resume domestic flights

Air Zimbabwe failed to resume its domestic flights Monday as workers and management could not find a breakthrough on salary dispute.

The crumbling airliner last week promised its few customers that is would resume its Harare- Bulawayo- Victoria Falls flights on Monday.

It had suspended all domestic flights in mid-January following a strike by employees who were demanding their salaries and allowances that have been outstanding since 2009.

However, unresolved money issues stood in the way of that promise.

"It's true that we failed to resumes flights as expects yesterday (Monday). We failed to reach a compromise on salary issues with workers on time," said acting chief executive Innocent Mavhunga.

Mavhunga said he could not predict when the flights would eventually resume.

"We are still locked up on negotiations and its difficult to issue a new time frame for resumption of flights, but Air Zimbabwe would be back on air soon," he said Tuesday morning.

Pilots, engineers and cabin crew say they are owed as much as $9 million accrued over several months.

Air Zimbabwe also owes foreign creditors about US$30 million and another $119 million to various local institutions including the Zimbabwe Revenue Authority (ZIMRA) and state pensions entity, NSSA.

The airline has since 2010 been hit by strikes.

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