ICAO bans 43 African Aircrafts.
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has banned the use of 74 Antonov Aircraft worldwide whose service life have expired and no longer considered airworthy. It was learnt that no fewer than 43 of the aircraft were operated by seven African countries. ICAO said the decision to ban the aircraft was taken on August 17, in accordance with its Annex 8, Chapter 4 of the Continuing Airworthiness of Aircraft, paragraph 4.2.1.1 Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) tops the list with 20 Antonov Aircraft owned by 18 operators while Sudan follows with seven aircraft belonging to six airline operators. Other African countries and the aircraft affected include Sierra Leone (five); Angola (five); Kenya (four); South Africa (One) and Uganda (One). Maldova is on top of the list from other part of the world with 18 aircraft, followed by Surinam (five); Venezuela (two); Iran (two); Kazakhstan (two); Cambodia (One) and Nicaragua (One). During the first half of 2005, one third of the world’s fatal accidents occurred in Africa in spite of having less than five per cent of global airlines traffic. In 2005, 27 air accidents occurred in Africa involving eight Western Jets and 338 fatalities while 225 fatalities were recorded on Western Jets. Nigeria recorded four accidents last year with 225 fatalities on four Western Jets. On January 8, 2005, Antonov 12 aircraft belonging to Service Air crashed in Uganda, killing six people on board. This was followed with the crash of Iiyushin 76 on February 3, when a Sudanese aircraft belonging to Air West in which seven people died. Another Iiyushin 76, belonging to Airline Transport of Tanzania crashed on March 23, killing eight people. Antonov 26 operated by Kisangani Airlift of DRC crashed on May 6 claiming 10 lives while another 10 lives were lost in the same country on May 25 when Antonov 12 belonging to Victoria Air crashed. Sudan recorded its second crash last year on June 2 when Antonov 24 operated by Marshland Aviation was involved in a crash killing three people. One of the worst air disasters on the continent occurred on July 16 when Antonov 24 belonging to Equat Air of Equatorial Guinea crashed killing 60 people. DRC recorded four air disasters on September 5, 9, 21 and October 4, with the death of 11, 13, two and two people respectively. The aircraft involved were two Antonov 26, one Antonov 2 and another Antonov 12. They were operated by Kavatshi Airlines, Air Kasai, Pan African Airways and Wimbi Dira Airways, respectively. Nigeria recorded her first air crash in 2005 on October 22 when a Bellview Airlines B737-200 crashed and killed 117 people at Lisa Village, near Ifo in Ogun State. Nigerians were yet to recover from that shock when a DC-9-30 aircraft belonging to Sosoliso Airlines crashed at Port-Harcourt International Airport killing 108 people, including school children. The last air crash in the continent occurred on December 24, when Antonov 28 operated by African Union of Sudan crashed and killed two people. Aircraft accidents are caused by either human factor, mechanical failure of the aircraft or nature, environment, infrastructure facility or a combination of all these.
International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has banned the use of 74 Antonov Aircraft worldwide whose service life have expired and no longer considered airworthy. It was learnt that no fewer than 43 of the aircraft were operated by seven African countries. ICAO said the decision to ban the aircraft was taken on August 17, in accordance with its Annex 8, Chapter 4 of the Continuing Airworthiness of Aircraft, paragraph 4.2.1.1 Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) tops the list with 20 Antonov Aircraft owned by 18 operators while Sudan follows with seven aircraft belonging to six airline operators. Other African countries and the aircraft affected include Sierra Leone (five); Angola (five); Kenya (four); South Africa (One) and Uganda (One). Maldova is on top of the list from other part of the world with 18 aircraft, followed by Surinam (five); Venezuela (two); Iran (two); Kazakhstan (two); Cambodia (One) and Nicaragua (One). During the first half of 2005, one third of the world’s fatal accidents occurred in Africa in spite of having less than five per cent of global airlines traffic. In 2005, 27 air accidents occurred in Africa involving eight Western Jets and 338 fatalities while 225 fatalities were recorded on Western Jets. Nigeria recorded four accidents last year with 225 fatalities on four Western Jets. On January 8, 2005, Antonov 12 aircraft belonging to Service Air crashed in Uganda, killing six people on board. This was followed with the crash of Iiyushin 76 on February 3, when a Sudanese aircraft belonging to Air West in which seven people died. Another Iiyushin 76, belonging to Airline Transport of Tanzania crashed on March 23, killing eight people. Antonov 26 operated by Kisangani Airlift of DRC crashed on May 6 claiming 10 lives while another 10 lives were lost in the same country on May 25 when Antonov 12 belonging to Victoria Air crashed. Sudan recorded its second crash last year on June 2 when Antonov 24 operated by Marshland Aviation was involved in a crash killing three people. One of the worst air disasters on the continent occurred on July 16 when Antonov 24 belonging to Equat Air of Equatorial Guinea crashed killing 60 people. DRC recorded four air disasters on September 5, 9, 21 and October 4, with the death of 11, 13, two and two people respectively. The aircraft involved were two Antonov 26, one Antonov 2 and another Antonov 12. They were operated by Kavatshi Airlines, Air Kasai, Pan African Airways and Wimbi Dira Airways, respectively. Nigeria recorded her first air crash in 2005 on October 22 when a Bellview Airlines B737-200 crashed and killed 117 people at Lisa Village, near Ifo in Ogun State. Nigerians were yet to recover from that shock when a DC-9-30 aircraft belonging to Sosoliso Airlines crashed at Port-Harcourt International Airport killing 108 people, including school children. The last air crash in the continent occurred on December 24, when Antonov 28 operated by African Union of Sudan crashed and killed two people. Aircraft accidents are caused by either human factor, mechanical failure of the aircraft or nature, environment, infrastructure facility or a combination of all these.