Air Zimbabwe resume domestic flights next week

Troubled national airline, Air Zimbabwe, is set to resume domestic flights next week.

The airline suspended its domestic flights in January this year after an aircraft servicing domestic routes developed mechanical faults.

Acting chief executive officer, Innocent Mavhunga told NewsDay yesterday, Air Zimbabwe will begin by offering limited service.

“Yes, we are resuming our domestic flights and we will be flying on February 20,” said Mavhunga.

“We will be begin four times a week flights to Bulawayo and Victoria Falls. We will gradually increase flights as the market picks up.”

The airline is saddled with an estimated debt of $149 million.

Foreign creditors are owed about $30 million, and the rest is owed to local entities.

Transport and Communications minister Nicholas Goche last week told NewsDay’s sister paper, Zimbabwe Independent, the airline had been operating on a deficit since 1994, but the inception of the multi-currency system worsened the situation.

This, he said, had resulted in frequent strikes, grounding of operations, non-replacement of equipment, huge debts, suspension from International Aviation Transport Association, lease withdrawals and contract cancellations, among other problems.

A multi million dollar debt for Air Zimbabwe

State owned Air Zimbabwe is now under judicial management and faces liquidation after its debts shot to $140 million.

The application to place the national carrier under judicial control was made by the airline's employees on Friday, 20 January at the High Court in Harare.

Shepherd Chimutanda, a chartered accountant was immediately appointed judicial manager.

The order also barred the Air Zimbabwe board from involvement in the running of the company.

Workers sought the intervention of the courts after they went for more than a year without salaries. They are owed over $ 35 million in salaries dating back back to 2009.

It has since emerged that January 16, Air Zimbabwe's acting chief executive officer Innocent Mavhunga wrote to President Robert Mugabe warning him of the gathering crisis.  He pleaded for government assistance to  keep the airline afloat.

"We wish to advise that the non-payment of salaries and other statutory obligations for the period in question has not been deliberate, but rather a manifestation of underlying viability challenges that our company has been experiencing where we have even suspended international and regional flights with domestic flights having become erratic," reads part of the letter signed by Mavhunga and dated January 16.

Last week, Air Zimbabwe took delivery of a second hand A320-200 Airbus plane from France, in a deal brokered in secrecy.

Caleb Mucheche, the workers' lawyer said his clients had not been paid their salaries since 2009.

"Since the court has appointed a judicial manager it means that this is a prelude to liquidation.

"The judicial manager will now move in and the current AirZim board will have to step aside," Mucheche told the local media.

Creditors, in December seized the company's planes in South Africa and the United Kingdom over unpaid debts.

Zimbabwe: National Airline Looking At Leasing Aircraft

AIR ZIMBABWE has decided to lease aircraft because neither the Government nor the national airline have resources to buy new planes, an official has said.

Transport, Communications and Infrastructure Development Permanent Secretary Mr Partson Mbiriri, yesterday said contrary to media reports that Airzim had purchased an Airbus A350, the national airline was assessing which planes to lease.

"Not every plane that lands at the Airport belongs to Airzim, it is true that the national airline needs new aircraft but neither Government nor Airzim has the resources to purchase them," he said. "What is happening is that Airzim is exploring and assessing the leasing route because it's cheaper to lease than buy one when we don't have the resources."

Mr Mbiriri said since Airzim was assessing which planes to lease, it was inevitable that some planes would be seen at the Airport. He said some companies would send their aircraft to Airzim to market them.

"Some of the vendors even go as far as painting the planes in Airzim colours as a marketing gimmick. This has been happening over the years that I have been at the Ministry of Transport. Government is obviously determined to see the national airline continue flying the Zimbabwean flag," Mr Mbiriri said.

He said the Airbus 350 that had been reported as having been bought by Airzim was just being assessed for leasing by the national airline.

Meanwhile, State Enterprises and Parastatals Minister Gorden Moyo on Tuesday said Government would "ring fence" the US$140 million debt, which the airline would repay when it becomes profitable.

Last year, Cabinet resolved to incur the over US$140 million debt which would pave way for the restructuring of Airzim.

This also comes amid indications that the Cabinet Committee on the national airline has only met once despite several Cabinet directives.

MDC-T's national council last year met and called on the Government to stop funding the national airline saying it would rather be shutdown.

Minister Moyo said Cabinet resolutions were policies that had to be implemented than party positions.

"The Cabinet position is what matters because it becomes a policy and that resolution (debt takeover) is awaiting implementation," Minister Moyo said.

He said the decision to takeover the debt was motivated by the need to make the airline's balance sheet attractive to investors.

Minister Moyo said Cabinet resolved that Airzim should be restructured through a joint venture approach.

"Implementation of the restructuring is now in the hands of the Minister of Transport, Communications and Infrastructure Development (Nicholas Goche).

"The decision was that we are going to use the model of the Ethiopian Airways and the Kenyan Airways. It is up to the Minister of Transport to implement that decision," he said.

Minister Moyo said Cabinet had instructed Finance Minister Tendai Biti to raise the funds for "right sizing" the workforce at the airline.

He said the delay to clear the debt was due to financial constraints at the Treasury.

Minister Moyo said Cabinet would also restructure the National Handling Services whose proceeds would be channelled towards recapitalisation of the national airline.

Minister Goche and Minister Moyo have the responsibility to finalise the restructuring exercise.

Minister Moyo said the restructuring documentation for NHS was ready to be presented in Cabinet for approval. Cabinet, Minister Moyo said, also agreed that there was need to properly constitute the Airzim board and management.

"As we speak those people can't make decisions on their own thus they keep referring most of the issues to the Ministry of Transport, consequently leaving us with a kind of micro management of Airzim against the norms and values of corporate governance," he said.

Zanu-PF and MDC say there is need for the national airline to be recapitalised so that it can be profitable while the MDC-T argues the solution lies with the shutting down of the airline.

Zanu-PF spokesperson, Cde Rugare Gumbo, said there was need for the Government to implement the Cabinet resolutions.

"Like any other parastatals, we can't allow Airzim to liquidate, we have a responsibility to make sure that Airzim is capitalised and that is possible if Government takes the debt," Cde Gumbo said.

"The airline has to recapitalise so that it can fly the Zimbabwe flag because we believe an airline is a marketing strategy for the country. We want it to be run on a commercial basis so that it generates profits."

MDC deputy spokesperson, Mr Kurauone Chihwayi, said there was need for the Government to engage an investor who can help resuscitate the national airline.

"We cannot dump Airzim, the only dumping we can do is in the hands of an investor," Mr Chihwayi said.

"We expect the major shareholder to capitalise the national airline and if Government can't do that then an investor should come in with the money because it cannot continue in the state that it is in where workers can go for seven without getting paid."

He said Government was supposed to be flexible and allow the investor to own more than 49 percent stake in the airline.

However, MDC-T spokesperson, Mr Douglas Mwonzora, said the only way to solve the problems at Airzim was to implement the MDC-T resolutions on the airline.

"If Cabinet has failed to implement its resolutions it shows there is something wrong. We believe the problems at Airzim are persistent and our view is shut down Airzim, pay workers their packages, get a partner and then run it commercially," he said.

Mr Mwonzora said there was, however, need for the Government to find other ways of settling the Airzim debts.

Regional Airlines Take Over Airzim Clientele

Victoria Falls — REGIONAL airlines have taken over beleaguered Air Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls clientele.

With Air Zimbabwe having indefinitely suspended servicing its domestic, regional and international routes citing "viability" challenges, its competitors have stepped in to fill the void.

According to sources at the Victoria Falls International Airport, South African Airways and British Airways (Comair) are now plying the Johannesburg-Victoria Falls route daily. Air Namibia lands at Victoria Falls Airport about three times a week.

Some visitors to the resort town are also using One Time Airways, Zambia Airways and other airlines from South Africa that land just across in Livingstone town.

As if that competition is not enough, there are about three airlines that have proposed to fly into Victoria Falls in a development that could see increased traffic and revenue for the tourism sector.

Recently, Civil Aviation Authority of Zimbabwe chief executive officer, Mr David Chawota told Chronicle that three new long haul airlines were courting the authority to fly direct into the resort town. He also said Fly Emirates had already indicated that it would start flying into the country next month landing at Harare International Airport.

Commenting on the matter, the Minister of Tourism and Hospitality Industry, Engineer Walter Mzembi, said it would have been wonderful to see the national airline being one of the airlines competing on the different routes.

"We need a paradigm shift here; we must see the opening up of domestic air routes and liberalisation of the airspace. Victoria Falls has become accessible to foreigners as foreign airlines continue landing here yet we say charity should begin at home," he said.

According to tour and adventure operators the landing of more airlines either in Livingstone or Victoria Falls should be commended as it was a clear sign that the tourism sector was now out of the doldrums after years of continued demonisation of the country by its detractors who included the Western media.

"For the tourism sector, it is a pity that our national pride has been compromised by Air Zimbabwe's failure to play a leading role. We are, however, happy that our clients coming in either through Livingstone or direct into Victoria Falls, are being serviced by other airlines.

"We commend the Government for considering other airlines that have expressed interest in landing in the country. We need to open the airspace and allow more players because at the end of the day it is the number of visitors that counts," said an operator on condition of anonymity.

Other operators who spoke on condition of anonymity said it was true that some travel agents were omitting Air Zimbabwe on their lists of airlines.

"It is no secret that travel agents are omitting Air Zimbabwe. This is because of its track record where travellers have grown accustomed to delays and cancellations. Right now some of the employees are on strike and as long as it is like that, no traveller in his or her right senses will choose Air Zimbabwe," said the operator.

A total of 18 international airlines have left the country in the last 10 years due to economic challenges facing the country and negative publicity.

These include Lufthansa, Qantas, Austrian Airlines, Swissair, Air India, Air France and TAP Air Portugal.

African airlines that no longer fly into Harare include Egyptair, Air Mauritius, Linhas Aereas de Mocambique, Air Namibia, Royal Swazi Airlines and Air Seychelles. Air Tanzania, Ghana Airways, Air Uganda and Air Cameroon have also pulled out.

Air Zimbabwe will not resume its suspended regional and international flights

HARARE- Troubled Air Zimbabwe will not resume its suspended regional and international flights until Government takes over the over US$140 million debt and restructures the national airline, an official has said.

The airline suspended the flights after some of its planes were impounded by debtors over long standing debts in South Africa and in Britain. Air Zimbabwe acting chief executive officer Mr Innocent Mavhunga said the flights would only resume when there was no risk of the planes being impounded.

“Those flights will remain suspended until maybe the end of January while some logistics are being worked out. We are hoping that Government would have implemented Cabinet decisions on Airzim like the debt take-over and restructuring.

“If the decisions are not implemented then certainly we won’t be resuming those flights.” Mr Mavhunga said the national airline was only plying the domestic routes and Zambia and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The national airline has failed to service its debts due to operational challenges mainly caused by a high staff turnover. Airzim has over 1 200 employees but management wants the numbers trimmed down to just over 400.

Lack of finance has made it difficult for the national airline to retrench because it does not have the package for potential retrenchees.

Air Zimbabwe was is in the headlines again this week after the only plane still operational was grounded, due to technical faults. Flights from Harare to Bulawayo and Victoria Falls were cancelled on Monday when the Boeing 737 aircraft developed a “glitch” in one of the engines, leaving passengers stranded.

Political and economic analyst Bekithemba Mhlanga told SW Radio Africa that blame for the airline’s demise “should be placed squarely on Robert Mugabe and the board of directors”. He referred to Mugabe’s constant use of the airline for personal trips and mismanagement by the board as the major reasons.

“We’ve reached a point where there should be either civil action or criminal liability against the management for their part in terms of how we got to this position,” Mhlanga explained. He added that the board never had a plan of action and should have forced privatization of the airline years ago.

A crisis developed a week before the holidays last month when creditors seized a plane at Gatwick Airport in London because Air Zim had failed to pay $1.5 million owed to an American spare parts company. Hundreds were stranded for over a week at the airport.

Earlier in the week Transport Minister Nicholas Goche ordered all its regional and international flights to be suspended, fearing seizure of the remaining aircraft by creditors.

Air Zimbabwe plane flies home after debt paid

An Air Zimbabwe plane impounded in London for more than two weeks over a debt dispute flew home on Sunday after the national carrier settled $1.2 million owed to a US spares company, the airline’s acting chief executive said.

“Yes, the plane arrived this morning from the UK and we are grateful,” Innocent Mavhunga told AFP.

American General Supplies seized Air Zimbabwe’s Boeing 767-200 at Gatwick over unpaid fees of $1.2 million resulting in the airline cancelling the flight and reimbursing stranded passengers.

The airline has also suspended flights to South Africa over a debt of $500,000 fearing creditors might impound more of its planes.

The airline, already struggling to pay its workforce and facing mounting fuel shortages, needs about $40 million to clear some of its debts, Mavhunga said earlier this month.

The airline says its financial difficulties are a result of the international sanctions targeting Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe’s regime yet the same airline owed money to a US company for the supply of spares.

Air Zim plane finally released

AIR Zimbabwe’s Boeing 767 plane, impounded at Gatwick Airport over a week ago, was finally released on Tuesday, but the airline says it will take a few more days before flights can resume.

The aircraft was seized by US spares and maintenance firm, American General Supplies as it tried to force payment of a US$1.5 million debt.

Air Zimbabwe's regional manager for Europe and the America’s, David Mwenga cornfirmed the release of the aircraft and apologised to passengers inconvenienced by the crisis.

“We have to apologize to a lot of our passengers,” Mwenga told SWRadio Africa.

“We cancelled three flights because of this situation. We are sorry this happened.”

More than a hundred passengers due to have flown to Harare on the day the plane was seized were left stranded and also suffered the ignominy of being thrown out of a London Hotel after the airline allegedly failed to pay.

Meanwhile, Mwenga said flights would only resume after repairs to problems that developed over the time the plane was grounded have been completed.

Engineers are expected to complete the work by the end of the weekend.

However, the crisis ruined affected passenger’s holiday plans as most would have hoped to be home with their families in time for Christmas.

Mwenga said some had been refunded and managed to make alternative arrangements, but admitted that most could not be given back their money because of limited funds.

Air Zimbabwe has also been forced to suspend flights to South Africa fearing more of its aircraft could be seized by creditors.

The airline is said to be saddled with a debt of about US$140 million.

Air Zimbabwe to resume flights

AN Air Zimbabwe plane that has been holed in London after a US company threatened to auction it over a US$1,2 million debt is now expected in the country on Tuesday.

On Monday, General American Supplies impounded Air Zimbabwe’s Boeing 767-200 at Gatwick International Airport and threatened to auction it to recover money owed by the troubled airline.

Government intervened to save the plane from going under the hammer. Innocent Mavhunga, the airline’s acting group CEO told The Standard the plane would now leave London tomorrow evening and arrive on Tuesday.

He said the airline had paid the US$1,2 million debt plus the legal fees. Mavhunga said that flights to South Africa would resume any day this week. “We hope to have resolved the matter between Monday and Tuesday,” he said adding that the parent ministry continues sourcing funding for the airline.

Last week, Air Zimbabwe suspended flights to South Africa fearing that creditors would pounce on the airline once it landed at OR Tambo International Airport.

The troubled airline has debts of over US$100 million which it has failed to service owing to low revenue streams and antiquated equipment which has increased the cost of running the business.

Analysts say government has to move out of the airline to stop the financial haemorrhage but are unanimous that doing so now would mean the airline would be sold for a song.

Chinese airline, Hainan, has been linked to Air Zimbabwe but despite the suggestions and meetings with officials by President Robert Mugabe last month, nothing has moved along that front, with the airline further sinking in the abyss.

In the meantime, regional airlines like South African Airways, Kenya Airways and Ethiopian Airlines are feasting on the problems of Air Zimbabwe, getting the traffic to and from Zimbabwe on a silver platter.

South Africa a no-go zone for Air Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe's state-owned airline has suspended flights to South Africa over fears its planes could be seized for outstanding debts, a senior airline official told state media.

Air Zimbabwe acting chief executive Innocent Mavhunga said the corporation, which is struggling to pay off debts of over $140 million, had decided to temporarily stop its daily flights to Johannesburg to avoid creditors there.

“We are not flying into South Africa. We are trying to secure funding to pay our debts in South Africa,” he was reported as saying.

Mavhunga however was unavailable on Friday to explain why Air Zimbabwe was not worried about continuing flights to other foreign destinations, Lusaka in Zambia and Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Earlier this week, Air Zimbabwe scrambled for days for money to save a Boeing 767-200 which had been impounded on landing at London's Gatwick Airport after a U.S. firm, American General Supplies, got a court order for $1.2 million owed for aircraft spares.

Last week, a South African airport support services company, Bid Air, forced Air Zimbabwe to ground a plane in Johannesburg as it pressed for payment of a $500,000 debt.

Economic analysts say Air Zimbabwe is on the verge of collapse after years of mismanagement and poor funding by President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party.

The suspension does not cut the Harare-Johannesburg route since South African Airways has three flights daily and British Airways' Comair also has a daily flight.

Air Zimbabwe passengers stranded as airline runs out of money

More than 70 passengers have been stranded at Gatwick International Airport for nearly a week because Air Zimbabwe’s only long haul aircraft was grouned because the airline couldn't pay nearly £1m in bills.

Air Zimbabwe’s 767-200, named Victoria Falls, was seized by American General Supplies when it landed from Harare at Gatwick International Airport early on Monday.

That evening about 100 mostly Zimbabwean passengers checked in and then learned their flight was delayed. Some were given camp beds on which to sleep at Gatwick and next morning they learned the aircraft was seized via a US court injunction by American General Supplies for unpaid debt for spares of £966 000.

“We demanded proof that the debt had been paid and saw documentation suggesting a transfer of US$1 million (£644 000) was made which is less than the American company is claiming,” one passenger said on Thursday. “Departure is now supposed to be Monday night which is disgraceful,” said a Harare resident whose wife is stuck at Gatwick.

Air Zimbabwe’s London manager, David Mwenga had to flee Gatwick earlier this week as fuming Zimbabweans chased him when he was unable to provide a firm departure date.

Acting Air Zimbabwe chief executive, Innocent Mavhunga, meanwhile announced the airline had now suspended daily flights to Johannesburg.

"We are not flying into South Africa. We are trying to secure funding to pay our debts there,” he said.
Last week, a South African airport support services company, Bid Air, forced Air Zimbabwe to ground a plane in Johannesburg as it pressed for payment of a £320,000 debt.
Zimbabwe's economy has virtually collapsed in the years following the forced seizure of white-owned farms by President Robert Mugabe. The policy led to sharp falls in prodcution, rampant inflation and food and fuel shortages.

Air Zimbabwe suspends South Africa flights

Zimbabwe's state-owned airline has suspended flights to South Africa over fears its planes could be seized to pay its outstanding debts.

The airline is reported to owe $500,000 (£320,000) to a local supplier.

Earlier this week an Air Zimbabwe plane was grounded in London until a similar debt was paid off.

The airline is reported to be struggling to deal with a total debt of $140m and is said to be on the verge of collapse.

"We are not flying into South Africa. We are trying to secure funding to pay our debts in South Africa," Innocent Mavhunga, Air Zimbabwe's acting chief executive, told the state-owned Herald newspaper.

He said, however, that the airline was continuing to fly to Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Other companies, such as South African Airways and British Airways' Comair, continue to fly between Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, and South Africa, the regional powerhouse.

200 Air Zimbabwe passengers remain stuck at Gatwick

At least 200 passengers were left stranded at Gatwick airport on Wednesday, ZimEye has learnt.

Airport officials told Zim Eye that 60 passengers had the previous day on Tuesday been given emergency sleeping facilities and food and the rest randomly put into hotels after an impounded Air Zimbabwe jet was being prepared for a possible auction originally scheduled for Wednesday (yesterday).

Four passengers belonging to the group were reported to have been arrested, another report British Police are yet to respond to, amid evidence that this may have been a mere rumour.

“We had about 60 passengers that stayed over at Gatwitck last night and we made sure that they were catered for, they had food, sleeping facilities and water,” an airport official told ZimEye Wednesday morning. By evening time, it had become clear that the full number was nearing a 200 total with some having to sleep on emmergency beds.

The Air Zimbabwe website was also seen having no update with the lastest news update having been made as far back as July when the company’s management fought media reports that stated the pilots were striking.

Problems haunting the airline were forecasted by the company’s chief executive who in June 2009 said the entity was now cash strapped:
The cash strapped parastatal cited under capitalization, huge debts and critical foreign currency shortages as the major challenges that it is facing. Air Zimbabwe Chief Executive Officer Dr. Chikumba confirmed that up to 480 employees would be retrenched within the next 12 months.

“The airline is in the intensive care unit. We are battling for survival and cannot afford to maintain the current number of employees” said Dr Chikumba as he also pointed out that the company would even afford to employ more than 800 workers.
Meanwhile, Zimbabwean radio personality Ezra Sibanda, among the passengers, was quoted by VOA stating that the situation was chaotic. “We have been camping at the airport without food and other basic necessities,” he said before Air Zimbabwe booked passengers back into a hotel.

The chaos has not only affected those travelers stranded at Gatwick but family and friends waiting for their loved ones back in Zimbabwe.

Former Combined Harare Residents Association chairman Mike Davies was quoted by VOA’s Violet Gonda stating that his wife was one of those stuck at the London airport with little help from the airline.

The outraged Davies vowed that his family will never fly Air Zimbabwe again. He said the situation was “just pathetic” and made a “mockery” of the airline.

“I spoke to my wife and she said the spirit (at Gatwick) is quite good. The Gatwick staff commented how well behaved the Zimbabweans were … She said, ‘Yes, that is the problem with us Zimbabweans, we don’t cause trouble.’”

Air Zimbabwe Plane Impounded In London

Zimbabwe’s ailing state run airline, Air Zimbabwe’s woes worsened on Monday after one of its planes was impounded in London by a United States company.

Informed sources told Radio VOP that Air Zimbabwe’s long haul aircraft, a Boeing 767-200 known as Victoria Falls, was seized by American General Supplies upon landing at London’s Gatwick International Airport on Monday morning from Harare International Airport.

American General Suppliers secured a court injunction in the US that gave them the power to impound the aircraft over US$ 1, 2 million debts, according to a source on Monday.
“The AGS has impounded our Boeing 767 flight to London over unpaid debts. The plane was supposed to leave Harare on Sunday morning but it only left around 5PM because of the problems. Unfortunately it was then impounded and this is going to affect the workers who have not been paid over the past six months,” a senior staff member who requested anonymity told Radio VOP.
Air Zimbabwe acting chief executive officer, Innocent Mavhunga, could not give a comment over the issue saying he was attending to meetings.
“I can’t give you a comment at the moment because I am in meetings. You can try to get in touch with me after three hours,” said Mavhunga before switching off his mobile phone.
However, Air Zimbabwe board chairman Jonathan Kadzura confirmed that indeed the plane had been impounded due to non-payment of debts but blamed the situation on the Ministry of Finance and inclusive government.
“From our part we are very clear that this issue is political and we are hoping that the Finance Minister Tendai Biti will be able to see what we mean when we say he should support the parastatal. Surely the government has the capacity to pay the outstanding US$1,2 million debt,” said Kadzura.
“They (American General Supplies want their debt settled in full plus costs. We can see more attachments (of aircraft) coming,” said other sources, who asked not to be named as they are not authorised to speak on behalf of the airline.
The impounding of the aircraft follows the seizure of one of Air Zimbabwe’s plane, a Boeing 737-500 which was confiscated by South Africa’s Bid Air Services two weeks ago over a $500 000 debt for ground handling services.
Another international company, ASECNA has already secured a court ruling in France over which it could impound Air Zimbabwe's airplanes due to an overdue debt, while British Airport Transport and American General Supplies, a major supplier of aircraft spares to Air Zimbabwe, had warned that they could suspend services due to accumulating arrears.
Once rated as one of the best airlines in Africa, Air Zimbabwe has been run down due to successive years of mismanagement and inadequate funding.

Zimbabwe airline plane temporarily hold over debt

Zimbabwe: Air Zimbabwe says some flights to South Africa won't take off because of a dispute over debts owed to ground handlers who temporarily hold an aircraft at Johannesburg's main airport.

Air Zimbabwe head Innocent Mavhunga on Tuesday described the incident at the Johannesburg airport as "another operational challenge."

Witnesses said a ground handling firm blocked the Boeing 737-500 aircraft with vehicles on Friday to demand unpaid debts of nearly $500,000. They said it took seven hours to take baggage to the terminal in private cars after many passengers walked across the airport.

Once-daily flights to Johannesburg are scheduled for Friday and Sunday

Long haul flights to Europe and Asia were canceled last week by shortages of gasoline.