Spokesperson Michi Messner Regional Manager Africa, Qantas Airways has responded to the recent Bloomberg article which says the airline has instructed agents to stop selling tickets in Zimbabwe.
This is the official response from Qantas:
Like a number of airlines, we advised travel agents in Zimbabwe that Qantas has stopped accepting ticket payment for Qantas bookings other than those made in cash, via EFT or via a valid credit card, directly to our office in South Africa.
This follows advice from IATA to member airlines, including Qantas, that the repatriation of funds out of Zimbabwe to airlines is currently taking up to 140 days.
In Zimbabwe, travel agents booking tickets for travel with IATA member airlines, ticket via IATA’s Bank Settlement Plan. These funds are then transferred outside the country and on to member airlines.
We are continuing to work with IATA to settle the outstanding funds and will review our travel agent ticketing process as the situation improves.