What Camair-Co Said, What We Reported, and Why It Matters

Cameroon’s national airline, Camair-Co, has come under scrutiny once again. This time, it is not just for its operational challenges but now for its handling of media reports. On August 7, 2025, the airline published a press release apologising for recent flight delays and disruptions. We published a news brief about that early this morning, August 8, 2025. In response to our coverage the national airline used its verified Facebook page to label our publication as “completely false.” The statement claimed that a Maroua-bound flight was operating normally and accused MMI of spreading “fake news” capable of inciting panic.

The accusation is particularly surprising given that MMI’s reporting was based entirely on Camair-Co’s own public apology and on verified, first-hand passenger accounts. We included one by renowned Cameroonian artist Kareyce Fotso, who had shared her experience of being stranded and neglected by the airline on multiple occasions.

In its Facebook statement, Camair-Co claimed that a flight to Maroua was operating normally and that no emergency return or incident had occurred. However, MMI never published any article making such a claim. Instead, our coverage focused on a separate issue which is the airline’s broader pattern of service failures and a formal apology issued by Camair-Co itself, following mounting public pressure.

What Camair-Co Said in Its Press Release

The press release cited two successive bird strikes as the reason for grounded planes and delayed services, leading to significant schedule changes. It specifically mentioned the rerouting of a Garoua–Yaoundé flight to Douala and emphasised the airline’s commitment to safety. The airline also expressed “sincere apologies” to affected passengers and promised to improve communication and customer care going forward.

“These operational disruptions are due to two successive bird strikes… We reiterate our most sincere apologies to all passengers affected…” the release said in part.

MMI’s reporting was drawn directly from this statement. We highlighted the airline’s explanation, the apology itself, and reactions from passengers who had been impacted, among them, Kareyce Fotso, who described long hours of waiting without updates, emergency landings without assistance, and being left to fend for herself in unfamiliar airports.

“The Top Management of Camair-Co… reiterates, on behalf of the company, its most sincere apologies to all passengers who have been affected by these disruptions due to a force majeure event,” they said in their release. “Corrective measures are already being implemented…”

Why This Matters

Camair-Co’s decision to label this kind of reporting “fake news”, without specifying what was false, raises serious concerns. Not only is the claim unsubstantiated, but it also risks misleading the public and damaging the reputation of independent journalism. In a time when the public depends on reliable information, vague accusations can erode trust and create confusion.

Moreover, the statement from Camair-Co appears to conflate MMI’s coverage of documented past disruptions with an unrelated rumour about a current flight — which we did not report on. This mischaracterisation has the unfortunate effect of shifting focus away from real, verified grievances raised by paying passengers and the airline’s own admission of service failures.

At MMI, we hold ourselves to a high standard of factual, responsible journalism. Our team verifies all information before publication and remains committed to fairness and balance. In this case, we reported what was officially stated by Camair-Co, added the voice of a prominent passenger, and contextualized the incident within a broader pattern of recurring issues in Cameroon’s air travel sector.

A Call for Responsible Dialogue

Camair-Co’s press release was a step in the right direction. It is a rare moment of institutional transparency that gave hope to many citizens who feel neglected by public services. Unfortunately, the follow-up “fake news” accusation appears to undermine that gesture of accountability.

This moment is about more than a misunderstanding between a media outlet and an airline. It’s about the rights of Cameroonians to accurate, independent information. As such, it highlights the importance of state institutions responding to scrutiny not with defensiveness but with dialogue and responsibility.

As Camair-Co moves forward with promises of improvement, we hope it will see the media not as an adversary, but as a partner in truth and accountability. That, after all, is what public service should stand for.

MMI