The inaugural flight of Chinese MA 60 recently acquired by the national airline company Cameroon Airlines Corporation (Camair-co) to strengthen its fleet did not take place December 29, 2015, as originally scheduled.

It was postponed to January 23, 2016, after a consultation between Cameroonian and Chinese governments.

An inconvenience that gave rise to speculation and some sources are stating the result of disagreements between the former Director General of the National Civil Aviation Authority (CCAA), Pierre Tankam, who was dismissed on December 30, and the Minister of Transport.

As Pierre Tankam who was succeeded by Paule Avomo Assoumou, he continued to have reservations, about the reliability of the MA 60, thereby requiring additional time for their certification.

But Cameroon Airlines Corporation indicated that the missed appointment is not due to any technical failure of the two aircraft, with a capacity of 48 seats each, much less maintenance problems.

The director of studies, strategy and information systems, Clemence Nwonkap, explains that December 29 was set by Cameroon, who subsequently informed the Chinese authorities.

The CEO of the group Avic, the assembler of the MA60 aircraft, made the trip to Cameroon to attend the inauguration alongside the Cameroonian authorities and leaders of Camair-co.

The representatives of the group meanwhile, returned to China a few days earlier, to take part in the festivities of the Chinese New Year, according to sources at the company headquarters Cameroon in Douala.

The Chinese Ambassador to Cameroon went to his country for the same cause. In the direction of Camair-co, these outages that would cause problems in terms of protocol justify the postponement of the inaugural flight in January 2016.
Congolese pilots

CAMAIR-CO officials affirmed that everything is ready for a smooth operation of the two MA 60, which will ensure the domestic flight on the Douala-Yaounde line, the Douala-Bafoussam, Douala and Bertoua.

Nearly half of the 28 pilots who were on a training mission in China have been returned, while four Congo Brazzaville pilots who proof their expertise in the management of MA 60, were recruited to strengthen the number of occupants of the cockpit in Cameroon.

Test flights are scheduled in January, under the supervision of experts from Avic group.

Sadly, alafnet.com can confirm that China has banned the use of MA60 in its territory and almost every government is avoiding it following its poor safety standards but Cameroon government think it’s a gift.

“We waiting to see if the transport Minister and Co will not fall in this pit they are digging themselves.”