Air Zimbabwe stops flights to South Africa

Zimbabwe's state-owned airline, Air Zimbawbwe, has suspended flights to South Africa, fearing planes could be seized to pay outstanding debts, officials said. "We are not flying into South Africa. We are trying to secure funding to pay our debts in South Africa," Innocent Mavhunga, Air Zimbabwe's acting chief executive, said in a report from the BBC Friday. Officials said an Air Zimbabwe Boeing 737-500 was nearly impounded at the OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg by Bid Air Service officials, the Zimbabwe Independent reported. Bid Air Service is owed about $500,000 by the airline, which is reported to be facing $140 million in total debt, the BBC said. "At the moment we doubt if we will be flying to Johannesburg and would not want to say when we expect to fly again because it might not happen," said Air Zimbabwe Chairman Jonathan Kadzura. "They [Bid Air Services] are not servicing us because we have not paid them and they want their money." Last month, Air Zimbabwe passengers in Harare, Beijing, Kuala Lumpur and London were stranded after the airline failed to purchase fuel.