16 Billion FCFA spent in three months to revive limping Camairco

Cameroon Airlines Corporation, Camairco has successfully resumed operations after months of inactivity.

Though its initial take off plan flopped, it was able to resume operations with a single plane.

With more of its aircrafts than those functional, reports say the carrier has spent at least 16 billion FCFA within the past three months.

Describing the national carrier as “financially-stressed”, The Guardian Post newspaper reveals that new figures were outlined following its recent resumption of activities.

“For this resumption, the government also disbursed funds to help the airline, official sources indicate.
Indeed, a letter sent on October 16, 2020, by the Minister of Transport, Jean Ernest Ngallé Bibehé who is also chairman of the Board of Directors, the Managing Director of the airline, revealed that the Ministry of Finance had once again disbursed 1,050 billion FCFA to ensure the operations are successfully launched” the paper reports.

The amount it added, was to be used for “… part of the salary arrears owed to the staff, the premium of the aviation insurance and the SITA reservation system, the customs duties on spare parts bought for the MA60 as well as some costs associated with the activity resumption.”

The report digs deeper into earlier Camairco financial transactions at the expense of millions of tax payers across the country.

Citing a July 14, 2020 letter sent to the Prime Minister by the Secretary General at the Presidency of the Republic, it highlights the disbursement of 15 billion FCFA for the reorganisation of Camair-Co in preparation for its privatization.

“At the time, the Secretary General indicated that this financial assistance would be used by Camair-Co to send one of its Boeing 737-700 NGs for servicing, acquire two Dash Bombardier Q400s; better suited for short-distance flights, and lease two engines for the second Boeing 737-700 NG.”

With Yaounde, capital, Douala, Garoua, and Maroua as initial resumption destinations, Camair-Co which only started with domestic flights abandoned the line to Bafoussam, Bamenda, and Ngaoundere, the paper reports.

This is despite the fact that the company was flying these routes before it was completely grounded some eight months ago.

According to Camairco, Fourteen weekly flights will take off from the Yaounde and Douala airports towards the Grand North regions while eight weekly flights will depart from Garoua and Maroua to Yaounde and six from Maroua-Salek and Garoua to Douala.
At the same time, seven weekly flights (one daily) will serve the Yaounde-Douala and Douala-Yaounde route.

“… These routes will be served by a Boeing 737 leased by Camair-Co for three (3) months and delivered in Douala on September 25, 2020) operated by a Ukrainian crew, our sources indicate” States The Guardian Post.

Despite several calls for a reformation of the country’s aviation sector, progressive leaderships keep proving to be worse than those preceding them.

Mimi Mefo Info