http://www.news24.com/Africa/Z...abwe-report-20170605



ZIMBABWE
US bars staff, citizens from using 'troubled' Air Zim over safety concerns – report
2017-06-05 08:20


Harare – The United States embassy in Zimbabwean capital Harare has reportedly barred its citizens and staff from traveling on the southern African country's troubled national airline, Air Zimbabwe, citing safety concerns.

According to NewsDay, the US embassy spokesperson David McGuire said in a statement that the prohibition order was with immediate effect.

He, however, said that the ban would be lifted as soon as all issues had been addressed according to international standards.

"We stand ready to work with Air Zimbabwe and Caaz [Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe] in any way as they address the issues raised. US embassy Harare will lift the restriction when all issues have been verifiably addressed according to international standards," McGuire was quoted as saying.

Reports last month indicated that the European Commission had barred Air Zimbabwe from flying to Europe over safety concerns.

The European Commission maintains an Air Safety List of airlines that they say don’t meet international safety standards and are barred from operating in the European Union.

The commission named Air Zimbabwe - regularly used by President Robert Mugabe on his overseas trips - as one of four airlines added to the list "due to unaddressed safety deficiencies that were detected by the European Safety Agency".

All five of Air Zimbabwe's planes were grounded in April, according to Zimbabwe Independent. It was not clear whether all five are now back in the skies.

I flew Zim Air a couple of times back in 2003. Obviously a cut rate airlines even back then.

Lunch was a sandwich wrapped in cellophane. Reminded me of lunches my mom packed back in the 1960s.

Got me to Bulawayo and back safely though.

BH63

Just flew Air Zim on Friday from Vic Falls to Harare. The plane was an Airbus A320. It was clean and well kept. I hear that run is a good plane. I hear some of the other segments and planes are a little beat down.

Condition of the aircraft is of course important...however who is "Driving" is also of serious concern and very difficult for a passenger to evaluate. Of course there are many factors in "Condition of the aircraft" that a passenger, even if knowledgeable, cannot evaluate when boarding a flight. The odds of me (ATP and a few thousand hours) getting on an Air Zim aircraft are somewhere between zero and non existent.