Joburg-bound Air Zim flight aborted

A JOHANNESBURG-BOUND Air Zimbabwe plane was yesterday reportedly forced to make an emergency landing at Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo after it suddenly lost cabin pressure and automatically ejected gas masks.

Although the airline’s chief executive Ripton Muzenda could not be reached for comment, sources confirmed the incident, saying a team of aircraft engineers had been despatched to the airport to investigate the cause of the mishap.

“There was loss of cabin pressure on the plane and the system functioned well to release the gas masks from overhead. The pilot reduced height and was able to turn back and safely land at Joshua Nkomo International Airport,” the source said.

“A team of engineers has since been despatched and is investigating the cause of the loss of cabin pressure. All the passengers were safe and were transferred to another plane that had to fly through Victoria Falls en-route to Johannesburg.”

Last year, another Air Zimbabwe plane flying from Johannesburg had water oozing from the cabin and some passengers got drenched after the airconditioning system malfunctioned.

BY PAIDAMOYO MUZULU