Harare - Zimbabwe’s state-owned airline has laid off 200 workers, or roughly half of its staff, with immediate effect. It’s all part of a turn-around strategy to bring the struggling airline back to profitability from a $300m (£230m) debt. Last month the EU banned the airline from using its airspace citing safety concerns.
There have been major changes at the national airline since President Robert Mugabe's son-in-law, Simba Chikore, took over as chief operating officer last year. An Air Zimbabwe spokesperson has told the state media that management has been trimmed from 28 to just 12, the finance department from 36 to 17.
The airline has struggled to keep afloat over the last decade and plans to carry out a restructuring exercise that will include retraining for all staff including top management. Unconfirmed reports say that a name change is also in the pipeline. A move many believe will ringfence the debt and reduce the threat of creditors seizing the planes. President Mugabe is a frequent flier on the airline, often leasing out the largest plane for state visits and private medical visits to the Far East.(FA)
