source
http://edition.cnn.com/2005/TRAVEL/09/18/france.cameroon.row.reut/index.html
Sunday, September 18, 2005 Posted: 0908 GMT (1708 HKT)
YAOUNDE, Cameroon (Reuters) -- Air France is canceling its flights to
Cameroon in an escalating row over safety triggered by France's
decision to ban national carrier Cameroon Airlines from its skies.
The move cut the main transport link between France and its impoverished
former colony, severing Cameroon's most important gateway into Europe
and temporarily stranding hundreds.
Air France said that it had cancelled its flights because some ground
assistance services at the airport in Douala -- Cameroon's main commercial
city and transport hub -- could not be guaranteed.
"Because the handling services at Douala airport cannot be guaranteed,
Air France has been forced to cancel its flights until Monday," a
spokeswoman said in Paris. A Cameroon aviation trade union boss had
threatened unspecified action against Air France unless the French Civil
Aviation Authority reversed its decision on Friday to bar Cameroon Airlines
from flying over France.
"We are also going to take firm measures against Air France because their
action is unfair," Eyango Djong told state radio.
An Air France plane on its way to Douala late on Friday turned around and
went back to Paris, airport officials said.
The French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) added Cameroon Airlines to a
blacklist of banned airlines on Friday.
It said that checks this spring on Cameroon Airlines' aircraft had found
"numerous lapses from international norms," notably with the loading of
planes, the transport of dangerous goods, navigation documents and tire
maintenance.
French and Cameroonian authorities had tried to fix the problems but
new checks showed "persistent anomalies remained".
Cameroon voiced dismay at the move, which deals a big blow to the airline,
already hit by debts and dwindling customers.
Cameroon defends airline
"It is unfortunate that we should get to this point," said Ignatius Sama
Juma, director general of Cameroon's civil aviation authority, late on
Friday.
He denied the airline had any technical problems and said checks at Charles
De Gaulle airport in Paris had only found "minor discrepancies" -- fire
extinguishers not properly secured and luggage standing in the way of
emergency exits.
He said a new audit had been ordered to fix any problems within two
weeks.
Before the ban Cameroon Airlines flew four times a week to France,
representing 75 percent of its commercial flights. It is already banned
from flying in Britain.
The airline joins five others blacklisted by France in August. Belgium
has also banned nine airlines, including several from Africa.
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