WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2011-04-22 Time: 18:00:03 Posted By: News Poster
By Bernard Mpofu
Government has brokered a deal with a Chinese energy company to acquire two new Airbuses 340-500 to save embattled national carrier Air Zimbabwe despite earlier reports that the deal had fallen through.
Sources close to the developments said secretary for transport Patson Mbiriri told senior management at Air Zimbabwe in an industrial relations crisis meeting on remuneration of pilots three weeks ago that the two planes, estimated to cost not less than US$200 million each, are believed to be in Toulouse, France and are expected in the country in June.
The Airbuses, which are expected to augment the Boeing 767 on the long haul routes were bought using “diamonds money” in a deal that was structured to bypass European Union and US imposed sanctions on Zimbabwe .
Air Zimbabwe has also entered into a wet long lease agreement with Air Zambezi to hire the 737-500 which would replace the ageing 737-200.
Air Zimbabwe acting CEO Innocent Mavhunga could not be drawn to comment. He referred all questions to group chairman Jonathan Kadzura, who last week told the Zimbabwe Independent that the proposed plan to buy the aircraft had been put on hold indefinitely.
“At this point in time I cannot comment on anything on Air Zimbabwe,” said Kadzura.
Mbiriri would also not comment on the matter referring all questions to Transport minister Nicholas Goche, who was said to be in a meeting when contacted for comment.
However, Mavhunga was quoted this week saying the airline had embarked on a programme to phase out ageing aircraft although he did not reveal how the financially beleaguered airline would fund the project.
Air Zimbabwe pilots who appeared before a parliamentary committee on transport and communications told lawmakers that time was running out for government to replace the 737-200 ADV aircraft which must be retired by June this year.
It is understood that Ministry of Transport officials entered into a deal with Sonangol, a Chinese controlled oil company based in Angola to acquire the aircraft from France. The sources said Sonangol, the “deal sponsor” would then advance payment to Reliance Aerospace Solutions, an aviation consulting firm which would then transfer the funds to Airbus.
The sources said negotiations on the deal commenced when a Airbus official Richard Mohler a German-born Egyptian aviation expert, and Reliance Aerospace Solutions president Mohamed El-Borai, Simon Pipping of Reliance and Captain David O’Shea who heads the flight operations and safety unit of Reliance Aerospace, met with former Air Zimbabwe chief Peter Chikumba and senior government officials last year.
The deal suffered a setback when government reportedly failed to raise sufficient funds from alluvial diamond sales to bring the airbuses to Zimbabwe by October 2010.
“A lot of things came out during the strike. Mbiriri indicated that the two Airbuses are in France. China’s Sonangol will sponsor the deal because of trading sanctions which are in place,” an aviation expert said.
“The two aircraft were initially manufactured for Kingfisher (Serial Number MSN 886 and 894), an Indian owned airline, but Kingfisher later defaulted on payment amid reports that business was low for the airline.”
According to the source, Air Zimbabwe cabin crew and engineers have already received training for the Rolls Royce powered aircrafts.
“Our pilots are yet to receive training so the aircraft will come with pilots hired from Reliance. The new planes will have a new livery, our national flag on the tail while the rest of the fuselage will be white. All these developments came after Air Zimbabwe completed a feasibility study in June 2010,” the source said.
Original Source: 
Original date published: 20 April 2011
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201104220508.html?viewall=1