Flights were temporarily disrupted yesterday afternoon at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport in Harare after a RwandAir plane with 65 passengers and eight crew en route to Cape Town experienced a tyre burst during the take-off run, preventing use of the runway from 12:45pm to 3:10pm.

Some airliners scheduled to land at the airport had to wait or divert to Joshua Mqabuko Nkomo International Airport in Bulawayo.

In a statement, Airports Company of Zimbabwe public relations and communications manager Mr Tonderai Mangombe said there were no injuries recorded as a result of the tyre burst.

"RwandAir flight WB110 with 65 passengers and eight crew members en route to Cape Town experienced a tyre burst during take-off run at 12:45pm resulting in a temporary disruption of service on the runway. We are pleased to report that there were no injuries recorded as a result of this incident."

Mr Mangombe said safety and well-being of all passengers and crew members were of utmost importance to the company.

"We commend the swift response and professionalism of the RwandAir crew and the airport rescue and fire fighting services in ensuring the passengers' safety. The incident was resolved at 3:10pm, and we confirm that the runway was cleared and normal operations have now resumed at Robert Gabriel Mugabe International Airport," said Mr Mangombe.

The company thanked all involved parties, including the RwandAir and Air Zimbabwe teams, for their cooperation, which resulted in the situation being resolved quickly.

"ACZ would like to reaffirm to the public that the RG Mugabe International Airport has a state-of-the-art and newly rehabilitated runway that meets all international safety standards and requirements.

"We apologise for any inconvenience caused to passengers and airlines due to the temporary disruption of service. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during this period of disrupted service."