Harare - Qantas Airways told travel agents in Zimbabwe to
stop selling tickets for its flights after the International Air Transport
Association warned it’s getting harder to move funds out of the country,
according to a circular sent by the Australian airline to agencies and seen by
Bloomberg.
The carrier is owed a “substantial” amount by Bank
Settlement Plan Zimbabwe, the system that IATA uses to transfer local ticket
revenue to airlines, according to the circular from Michi Messner, Qantas’s
regional manager for Africa.
“We’ve been advised by IATA that the situation with the repatriation
of funds out of Zimbabwe is worsening,” she wrote.
Messner confirmed by phone from Johannesburg on Tuesday
that she had sent the letter, referring further questions to IATA.
The industry body wouldn’t immediately comment.
The move is an early sign that airlines may be scaling
back operations in the southern African country, which is battling a shortage
of banknotes that’s forced lenders to cap customer withdrawals and seen
retailers offer large discounts for cash payments. Zimbabwe has mainly used the
dollar since economic mismanagement and runaway inflation rendered its own
currency worthless eight years ago.
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Other international airlines flying into the country
include Emirates, Ethiopian Airlines, South African Airways and Kenyan Airlines.
Civil Aviation Authority Zimbabwe is aware of the
circular from Qantas, Managing Director Charles Chawota said by phone, adding
that the currency shortage is a government issue.
International carriers including United Continental
Holdings halted or suspended operations in Nigeria last year after that
country’s own shortage of foreign-exchange reserves made it hard to recoup
revenue.
Zimbabwe travel agents may sell tickets for Qantas
flights through a South African partner, according to the airline’s letter.