MA60 Aircraft: Even Mugabe refused to fly

The controversy over the MA60 planes seemingly has just begun and those involve in the purchase keep feeling the heat as expected.or better still have been asking their friends how they cope with life in Kondengui.

A week after the first inaugural flight of the two new MA 60 aircraft operated by the Cameroon national carrier CamairCo, the mystery remains on the disputed certification of aircraft in question.

Mebe Ngo’o in trying to shift the blame else where, caused the sacking of Pierre Tamkam on December 29, 2015.The secretary general of the presidency, we understand, is looking at the bigger picture of the MA60 saga which accodring to our recent investigation is finding it difficult to get an insurer all over the world like any other MA60.

During the inauguration, Edmund Makona, the Chief Executive Officer of Air Zimbabwe and President of African Airlines Association, AFRAA, who was present at the launch, affirmed the technical efficacy of Cameroon Airline Corporation, Camair-Co’s two newly acquired MA60 aircrafts which had their inaugural flight on January 23.

Edmund Makona, who was part of the inaugural flight, told reporters at a news conference in Yaounde on January 26 that “MA60 planes are reliable aircrafts.”
The Air Zimbabwe boss indicated that their national carrier(air Zimbabwe) was the first company to make use of the MA60 for commercial purposes after Chinese companies.

“In 2004, we acquired three MA60 for Zimbabwe. These aircrafts have their place amongst Air Zimbabwe’s fleet. We use them for domestic and regional flights,” the CEO disclosed, without saying its many setbacks amongst which are the fact that on Nov, 15,2015 one of the MA60 was unable to land in the Zimbabwe’s resort town of Kariba.

Makona also gave assurances that the MA60 aircrafts are technically fit. He noted that the engines of the aircrafts are manufactured in Canada while other parts of the aircraft are fabricated in many other countries across the world.

The President of African Airlines Association, Makona, stated that it was their mission to get engaged in projects being realized by member airline carriers, caused alafnet.com to investigate deep inside air Zimbabwe MA60.

Our finding reveal more that meets the eye and this reporter thinks that the title by Cameroon journal of, January 29, “air Zimbabwe’s CEO Vouches for Camair-Co’s MA60 Aircrafts” was well befitting.

Why? Because even President Robert Mugabe refuses to fly the MA60!

Just to stress the point of how risky the MA-60 is, even Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe refuses to fly on the MA-60 planes of Air Zimbabwe.

In 2007 The Zimbabwe newspaper said President Mugabe and his 30-strong delegation, flatly refused to travel in one of the accident-prone MA60 Chinese planes to Malaysia for his annual holiday, aviation sources confirmed Mugabe, who left the capital two weeks ago, chartered a 197-seater Air Zimbabwe B767 from Harare to Johannesburg for his delegation, which included his wife, children and at least 20 intelligence operatives despite the fact that it was a holiday. They connected with an intercontinental flight from there to Singapore.

Aviation sources said Mugabe was scheduled to travel in one of the three MA60 planes because his favorite 103-seater B737 was grounded because of a “planned maintenance schedule.”

However in correspondence to Air Zimbabwe, the President’s Office protested the plan to have Mugabe travel in the MA60 plane ostensibly because “it would put the President’s life in danger.” The short lifespan of the planes has been fraught with breakdowns and operational nightmares. Mugabe’s spokesman George Charamba was unavailable for comment.”

On January 1, 2007, Airliners.net reported that "A furious Mugabe refused to fly in the MA-60. Sources at Air Zimbabwe said they had received correspondence from the president’s office saying this was for “safety reasons." As a result, many questioned if a president is afraid of an MA-60 plane crash, what more ordinary citizens?

Air Zimbabwe bought two MA-60 planes from China in 2004 and got an extra one free in what has been termed “buy two take one free plane deal”. The planes have frequently hit the headlines over their numerous technical problems leading to groundings or emergency landings.

Reports say the cash-strapped Air Zimbabwe could not afford to import spares to repair the MA-60s and had to cannibalise one to keep flying the other two. Mugabe has refused to fly in them since their arrival but expects his countrymen to do so.

UNSAFE!

The Telescope talked of Zimbabwe’s worst disaster on March 9, 2015, where it reported a horrendous Air Zimbabwe disaster crash. What made International headlines was foretold, with many lives and property set to be lost; what a Zimbabwean minister, says is the country’s worst national disaster in history.

In 2009, one of the Zimbabwe national carrier’s Chinese built MA60 plane was reported to be seconds from a runway crash at the country’s main airport due to a power cut at night. The late Vice President, John Nkomo, was among the passengers who were travelling from Bulawayo to Harare.

During the same year, another plane plying the local routes crashed after hitting a bush pig during a take off at Harare International airport. Some 37 passengers and crew on board the flight to the western city of Bulawayo escaped death, through the skin of the teeth.

Air Zimbabwe has one of the best aviation flight records on the continent in terms of safety, although financial constrains have been hampering it’s expansion. It is also very expensive to service the airlines two long-haul Boeing 767s, whose servicing and repairs was once done at Lufthansa Technik’s workshops in Hamburg, Germany.

“At this point in time, all I can say is for the lovely people of Zimbabwe to pray. This plane crash is very tragic, and it’s going to happen soon,” said the minister who is based in Berlin, Germany.

In September 2013 “earlier this year, the New Zealand Government suspended millions of dollars in tourism aid to Tonga and warned travelers of safety concerns over the plane,” reported Australia Network News.

“New Zealand says the MA60 plane has been involved in a significant number of accidents in the past few years and is not certified to fly in New Zealand, Australia, Europe and the United States.”

As stated above, Air Zimbabwe bought two MA-60 planes from China in 2004 and got an extra one free in what has been term “buy one take three plane deal”.

These planes like any other MA60 have frequently hit the headlines over their numerous technical problems leading to groundings or emergency landings.

Without a doubt, Edomnd Makona, Mebe Ngo’o and CO have sold their consciences and for personal reasons hence, painting the black MA60 white.

Congo, we understand, paid 14 billion FCFA for two MA60 planes. While Cameroon got two these MA60 at twice (34 billion) the price of Congo's, and camair-co are the only buyers of MA60 who have not had a good deal.