Pilots at Air Zimbabwe have ended a strike which had threatened to bankrupt the airline.

The 44 pilots at the airline have been on strike for two weeks in a dispute over pay. Pilots presently earn $2,600 per month, well below counterparts at rival regional carriers.

Zimbabwe Air had also failed to pay allowances for the past 20 months due to high debt levels.

Pilots were similarly fired last week, but negotiations were subsequently restarted. A settlement has now been reached, although details have not been released.

Regional and international flights will now resume later today.

President Robert Mugabe was forced to commandeer a plane to reach the UN

“All pilots have agreed to return to work and subject to operation requirements being met, normal flights are expected to resume Friday,” transport minister Partson Mbiriri said in a statement.

“All employees shall be paid their deferred allowances as mutually agreed upon.

“Suspension orders shall be withdrawn and no attendant disciplinary measures will be taken against any of the pilots.”

The strike led to the cancellation of all Air Zimbabwe flights, including those to Britain, South Africa and Zambia.

United Nations

An Air Zimbabwe aircraft was commandeered to fly president Robert Mugabe to the United Nations General Assembly in New York earlier this week.

Striking pilots had criticized the trip for its extravagance in the ailing economy.