PASSENGERS aboard Air Zimbabwe’s flight UM 467 to Johannesburg, South Africa, were shocked on Sunday morning after raw effluent from the toilets spilled into the aisle when the plane was just 30 minutes from landing.
by AUDREY MUTASA
The plane was unusually full, with most of the passengers being returning delegates, who had attended the just-ended International Conference on Aids and STIs in Africa (Icasa), further damaging the airline’s image among international travellers.
One South African, Kene Esom who was a passenger on the flight, claimed he was manhandled by the cabin crew and accused of taking pictures of the flowing sewer.
“Rather than make an announcement explaining what was happening to bewildered passengers, the crew was upset that I was taking pictures. They threatened to hand me over to security operatives for trying to embarrass the airline,” he said.
The embarrassing pictures have since gone viral on social media platforms.
Air Zimbabwe spokesperson Shingai Dhliwayo was not immediately available for comment and did not respond to questions emailed to her yesterday.
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The mishap added to the catalogue of the airline’s embarrassing blunders and “mid-air scares” on a number of occasions due to several issues, including technical faults.
Like most parastatals, Air Zimbabwe has been struggling and reports indicate that the airline only has three planes flying, with a $300 million debt overhang.
