Airports Company South Africa suspends Air Zimbabwe operation in its airports

October 27, 2019: Effective October 22, Airports Company South Africa (ACSA) has suspended Air Zimbabwe from using its airports. As a cash client, Air Zimbabwe is required to settle on each Monday the amounts owing for landing fees, parking fees and the passenger service charge for its weekly flights, as well as an amount towards settling arrears on its account.

Air Zimbabwe has not adhered to the cash basis terms for using airports owned by ACSA.

On October 18, the company informed Air Zimbabwe by letter that it will not be allowed to depart from any of ACSA’s nine airports and that the prohibition will remain in place until outstanding amounts are settled.

ACSA regrets that this decision became necessary. The suspension of an airline takes place only after considerable engagement with an airline’s management. However, ACSA maintains client confidentiality and will not disclose the specific amounts owed by Air Zimbabwe.

ACSA would also like to draw the attention of interested parties to revised regulations published in the Government Gazette on December 15, 2017, governing payment of charges for landing, taking off and parking of an aircraft.

The pertinent section of these regulations states that charges “shall accrue on a daily basis and shall become due on the day they were incurred and shall be payable to the company on demand and in any event before the aircraft departs from the airport, unless otherwise agreed to by the company (which agreement may be withdrawn at any time at the sole discretion of the company) or unless otherwise provided for in terms for payment included in the invoice for such charges”.