Air Zimbabwe's striking pilots claim carrier is overstaffed

Air Zimbabwe's striking pilots have called for the dismissal of some of the carrier's top managers and board members, stating they lack the aviation expertise to restructure the carrier (The Herald, 13-Apr-2011). In a report submitted to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Transport and Communication, the pilots also alleged that the airline was overstaffed, with an "unusually high number of unjustified supporting staff". They stated the current aircraft to employee ratio is one aircraft to 280 employees. They also recommended restructuring at management and board level and called for a skills audit. They demanded that the retrenchment process be completed "so that the airline stops bleeding by paying non-productive personnel".