IATA suspends Zimbabwe's embattled airline

The world aviation control body says it has suspended Zimbabwe's embattled, debt-ridden national airline from international financial and flight booking services. In a statement Sunday, the International Air Transport Association told travel agents to "immediately stop all ticketing and refund transactions" for Air Zimbabwe.
The airline still can fly using only its own facilities, but will suffer a sharp drop in bookings by passengers who are not Zimbabwean nationals.
Air Zimbabwe, already crippled by two pilots strikes in the past six months, owed IATA $280,000 in unpaid world-wide billing and ticketing fees.
Air Zimbabwe said Sunday it has "already engaged IATA to negotiate a payment plan."