Airport stand-off between Zimbabwe and South Africa over
The airport stand-off between Zimbabwe and South Africa appears to be over after the Air Zimbabwe plane which was grounded in South Africa on Friday was allowed to take off on Saturday night. The South African Airways flight from Harare to Johannesburg, was set to leave (at the time of writing).
The Stand-off started on Friday night after the South African Civil Aviation Authority (Sacaa) grounded a Harare-bound Air Zimbabwe Boeing 767 from taking off at OR Tambo International Airport claiming that it did have a foreign operator’s permit. Zimbabwe reciprocated by grounding and denying landing permission to all South African Airways and British Airways planes. Ironically, South African Airways did have valid foreign operators permit also.
Sacaa has issued Air Zimbabwe with operators permit for one aircraft. The Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe has done same in response.