SEVERAL passengers intending to fly from Bulawayo to Harare were stranded for three hours at the Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo (JMN) International Airport after an Air Zimbabwe (AirZim) plane reportedly developed a technical problem shortly after take-off at Harare International Airport. RICHARD MUPONDE SENIOR REPORTER
The plane had to turn back in mid-air to make an emergency landing.
Passengers were supposed to board the Boeing 737 plane at 8.15am from Bulawayo, but were forced to wait for three hours until an MA 60 plane arrived from Harare instead of the Boeing to take them to the capital.
Reports were that the Boeing 737 developed a mechanical fault shortly after take-off in Harare and had to turn back in mid-air to make an emergency landing.
The passengers were then transferred into the MA 60 plane.
AirZim spokesperson Shingi Taruvinga-Dliwayo was unreachable on her mobile phone for comment.
However, Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe (Caaz) public relations manager Anna-Julia Hungwe said she heard of the incident, but did not know the reason.
“I don’t know the reason. I just heard so, but not officially. I will only get the information from inspectors. The best way is to send me an e-mail of your inquiry so that I forward it to AirZim for answers,” Hungwe said.
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However, a source who flew from Bulawayo to Harare yesterday told Southern Eye that the Boeing 737 did not come, but passengers came aboard an MA 60 at around 10.30am.
“We left Bulawayo at around 11am and arrived in Harare at about midday,” he said.
“We heard that the Boeing made a mid-air turn back shortly after take-off and landed again at the Harare Airport.
“Passengers where then transferred from the plane to a waiting MA 60 which came to collect us in Bulawayo.”
At the end of April, President Robert Mugabe, who was aboard an AirZim Boeing, failed to land at the Harare International Airport due to bad weather on his return home from Italy where he had witnessed the canonisation of Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II who were declared saints of the Roman Catholic Church by Pope Francis 1.
His plane also encountered some fog in Bulawayo where it had been diverted to and only touched down at the second attempt after the first one was aborted due to poor visibility.
Two weeks later another AirZim plane from Harare was forced to return to the capital after failing to land at the JMN International Airport in Bulawayo due to heavy fog.
