Airports Company South Africa confirms that it has suspended Air Zimbabwe from using its airports with effect from Tuesday 22 October 2019.
As a cash client, Air Zimbabwe is required to settle on each Monday the amounts owing for landing fees, parking fees and the passenger service charge for its weekly flights, as well as an amount towards settling arrears on its account.
Air Zimbabwe has not adhered to the cash basis terms for using airports owned by Airports Company South Africa.
The company informed Air Zimbabwe by letter on 18 October that it will not be allowed to depart from any of Airports Company South Africa’s nine airports and that the prohibition will remain in place until outstanding amounts are settled.
Airports Company South Africa regrets that this decision became necessary. The suspension of an airline takes place only after considerable engagement with an airline’s management.
Airports Company South Africa regrets the inconvenience to Air Zimbabwe passengers. However, as a well-run and profitable state-owned company, we are obliged to ensure that airlines and other business partners settle any outstanding accounts.
The approach of Airports Company South Africa to our business relationship with Air Zimbabwe is consistent with our approach to airlines generally.
However, Airports Company South Africa maintains client confidentiality and will not disclose the specific amounts owed by Air Zimbabwe.
Passengers that are affected by this decision can contact Air Zimbabwe at its counter in Terminal B at O. R. Tambo International Airport, or at +27 11 390 3064/65, or by e-mail at: info@airzimbabwe.co.za.
Airports Company South Africa would also like to draw the attention of interested parties to revised regulations published in the Government Gazette on 15 December 2017 (Notice 968 of 2017 paragraph 2 (4)) governing payment of charges for landing, taking off and parking of an aircraft.
The pertinent section of these regulations states that charges “shall accrue on a daily basis and shall become due on the day they were incurred and shall be payable to the company on demand and in any event before the aircraft departs from the airport, unless otherwise agreed to by the company (which agreement may be withdrawn at any time at the sole discretion of the company) or unless otherwise provided for in terms for payment included in the invoice for such charges”.