The Saturday Star reports that a retrenched South African pilot, Tertius Myburgh, leased the Air Zimbabwe Boeing 767 that repatriated 100 South Africans and over 20 Zimbabweans from China.
Myburgh, who was retrenched from his new job in Canada, charged each passenger only $1000 for the repatriation flight from China.
The Air Zimbabwe plane, that later broke down after an engine failure, was leased with its pilots and crew. The Air Zimbabwe plane was leased after SAA failed to provide a plane.
Myburgh was responsible for all costs: hotels, fuel, clearance, catering and handling fees at the various airports.
He used his connections in Southern Africa and his knowledge of the Aviation Industry to arrange the Charter.
The Air Zimbabwe plane left Zimbabwe in mid-July for Joburg, then to Bangkok, then to Kuala Lumpur, where they picked up stranded commercial seafarers from China ( The cost was covered by the sailors firm).
From Kuala Lumpur, they headed to Guangzhou, then back to Kuala Lumpur, since they were not authorized to travel domestic routes in China, and then back to Wuhan where they picked up most of the South Africans.
The Bangkok leg had to be added when the 767 had an engine failure and the South Africans were stranded for a further 2 weeks.
Please read the full story in today’s Saturday Star.
