Air Zimbabwe said Wednesday volcanic ash clouds which have disrupted air travel in Europe had left 1,600 of its passengers stranded and cost it US$1 million in lost revenue.
The airline cancelled three flights to London last week, and again this week, af ter flights to Europe were banned over the volcanic ash clouds from Iceland.
Air Zimbabwe chief executive Peter Chikumba said 800 passengers intending to tra vel to London from Zimbabwe were stranded, and a similar number in the British capital coming to the country coul d also not travel.
Although most European airports re-opened Wednesday, Chikumba was not sure when Air Zimbabwe would resume flights to Europe, its most lucrative.
“The situation has forced us to cancel three flights to London and that has affe cted 800 passengers from either side,” he said.
“People are still on the ground and we have not received any formal communicatio n on the weather conditions from Europe,” he added.
Chikumba said the airline’s losses could have been far worse had it been meeting the expenses of the stranded passengers. It was exempted from doing so because the flight cancellations were caused by a natural disaster.
The ash clouds also prevented a Zimbabwean government ministerial delegation fro m travelling to Brussels for talks with the European Union to normalise relations.
Relations between the two are strained over alleged human rights abuses, and the y have been holding a series of talks to iron out differences.
“This means that we have to set a new date for the re-engagement dialogue,” Pric illa Mishairambwi-Mushonga, Minister of Regional Integration and International Co-operation, a member of the delegation, said. PANA
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