SAA resumes bookings for flights to Zim

You won't have a problem if you want to fly to Zimbabwe on South African Airways (SAA).

TimesLIVE phoned their call centre on Friday afternoon and had no hiccups when it tried to book a flight to the capital Harare.

On Wednesday afternoon‚ when TimesLIVE phoned the national carrier‚ it was told “because of the state of the country we cannot make bookings now” and those people who have already made bookings will be advised “as time goes on. If the flight is for tomorrow‚ they will email the passengers or call the passengers.”

SAA spokesperson Tlali Tlali said on Friday the miscommunication will be investigated and that things are once again running smoothly.

Tlali said protocol dictates once the airline decides not to travel to a certain destination‚ all employees are informed and a travel advisory is issued on their website.

He said the airline has 28 flights a week to Zimbabwe‚ 20 to Harare and eight to Victoria Falls.

Tlali said the national carrier is “not oblivious” to the current situation in Zimbabwe.

“We are in constant liaison with the relevant departments that are responsible for issues of security and international relations. We have not been advised otherwise. In other words‚ we have not been told to suspend operations based on security considerations.”

President Robert Mugabe made his first public appearance on Friday since military generals took control of the country on Tuesday. He attended a university graduation.

The generals acted after vice-president Emmerson Mnangagwa was sacked and Mugabe’s wife Grace emerged in prime position to succeed her increasingly frail husband.