THE Aircraft Owners and Operators Association (AOOA) has condemned the action by the European Union (EU) to blacklist Zambia’s aviation sector from flying into the Euro Zone.
The AOOA has described the blacklisting of Zambian aircraft from entering the EU flying zone as unjustified and high-handed.
The operators said in a statement that the damage done by the adverse publicity on the ban had continued to threaten Zambia’s fragile but positive economic progress.
They said the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) recently posted a significant safety concern for Zambia as a result of the Government’s delay in replacing its Air Service Permit (ASP) certification procedures with the ICAO’s Air Operating Certificates (AOCs).
AOOA said it was unfortunate that the EU blacklisted Zambia’s aviation sector without attempting to assess its performance.
“Unfortunately, this adverse publicity is peppered with inaccuracies and potentially
libellous statements to the extent that Zambia’s AOOA has been moved to issue this statement to clarify the position in Zambia,” the statement states.
Meanwhile, the Zambia Board of Airline Representatives has also indicated its concern over the blacklisting of Zambian planes into the Euro Zone, which is being discussed by the members’ executives.
The Government has not yet completed the switch from ASP to AOC certification procedures within the time frame agreed with ICAO and all Zambian scheduled and non-scheduled air operators currently operating in and out of the country are properly certified by the Zambian authorities under Zambian laws.
The laws are regularly updated to accommodate ICAO’s recommendations and Zambian expectations in the ongoing process of compliance.
The statement further states that at the time of writing, no Zambian air operators were in default of any pertinent aviation regulations materially affecting their operational safety.
“International media references to dubious Zambian airlines are, therefore, considered unjustified and libellous. In point of fact, Zambia has one of the most favourable safety records on the continent,” the statement reads.
The EU’s blacklisting of Zambian aviation means that EU travel agencies have been advised not to book their clients on any Zambian-registered aircraft, suggesting that their travel insurance policies might not cover their clients on Zambian aircraft.
[Times of Zambia]
Yaba……….lessons to be learnt here. Of course the Europeans want business! The airline industry is struggling so it’s survival of the fittest, even if it means playing dirty.
#1 Your comments are unjustified. AOC certification is considered world’s best practice for an industry which MUST maintain the highest standards. Surely the Zambian aviation industry must pull out all stops to demonstrate it’s compliance with what the rest of the world is doing.
Are Their Even Any Airlines In Zambia That Fly To Europe For Them To Be Banned All I Know Is Of Local Charter Flights & The Regional Zambezi Airlines Flights?
mali kaya.. yes even me i didnt know.. pliz can some one educate us..
Wow! Collonial hang over at its play again. Next you will hear no footballers are llowed to play in Euro if they are from Zed because of Swine flu.lol
the zambian aviation industry is a joke! they should have been PUSHING g.r.z every single day to switch to the new certification. safety is everything, and allowing this situation to develop is a disaster. who cares about the zambian aviation laws, the aviation standards are not set by zambia. stop bitching and just sort out this mess.
or better yet, sell zed to taiwan.
I dont understand this – should they condeming the EU for acting on procedures or the Zambian Government for not completing the change within the required period. Who is the Minister of Transport & Comm they should be calling him to account!!!
Sad development. But lets just go ahead and get all the required proceedures and licences before we start blaming the bazungus.
Unfortunately, EU did have a few cargo flights from zed….DHL, private minning planes etc….how sad…..RACISTS…..lol
#5 Berlusconi. Spot on
The EU is right. Zambian Govt has been sleeping on their job. Hope this wakes them up. Shameful.
Unfortunately, as much as they may want to be heard, the truth is that they no leverage whatsoever on EU Rules and Regulations formulation and implementation. EU Health and Safety regulations are very stringent and meant to protect citizens from shoddy services.
THE Aircraft Owners and Operators Association (AOOA), Mwachepesha bane.
Hon. Lungwangwa,what is your strategy to resolve this impasse.
By the way,what implications does this ban have on the common man who cant even afford a coach ticket from Mwense to Lusaka?
Let the affected fight this without using our meagre tax collections.
kupusa ba EU, racism. cant ya just trust niggers! damn, hate ya.
black pawn ama niggaz mwalichilamo nayimwe
black pawn ama nigggazz mwalichilamo nayimwe . atase blacks are just problems. viva hitler
#3 Exactly my thoughts
#3 Of course no zambian airline flies into Europe but if you are connecting flights, it means a zambian airline cannot be used, e.g. when flying into SA
Yeah and who has ever been on the local flights from
Sorry I was trying to ask who has ever been on those local proflight planes. They are stong age
yah ni disaster… is there any Abramovich who wants to bid to buy zambia? Please someone do something!!!!!!
Safety must always come first. This would never have happened had Zambia Airways been retained. We had the best pilots, best engineers and one of the safest records. The chickens have now come home to roost, thanks to the Chiluba regime. Who services RB’s plane? By the way, how can we ever promote tourism with no airline. Oh, I forgot that our mother country (South Africa) takes care of that.