ATW Daily News

No additional Yemenia survivors found; EC threatens blacklisting

Thursday July 2, 2009

French military aircraft and boats are continuing to search the Indian Ocean near Comoros for debris and survivors from the Yemenia Yemen Airways A310-300 that crashed late Monday, while the European Commission demanded that the airline "urgently provide" information on its maintenance program to avoid being placed on the EU's list of banned carriers.

The crash's sole survivor at this point is a teenaged passenger (ATWOnline, July 1). The girl's father, who was not traveling with her, told reporters that she was thrown from the aircraft as it hit the water and clung to a piece of debris for what is believed to be more than 13 hr. before a rescue boat found her. She reportedly has minor injuries but is in relatively good condition and was expected to return to Paris, where she lives, last night.

Meanwhile, the debate over Yemenia's safety standards raged as the EC sent a letter to the carrier threatening to ban its aircraft from EU airspace. France has said that the crashed A310 was specifically banned from its airspace following a 2007 inspection that found "faults," but the carrier continued to operate to the EU and the A310 was allowed to fly to other EU nations.

In the letter, the EC stated that it is seeking "an update on the implementation of the corrective actions undertaken. . .in the area of maintenance and operations." It added that an EC meeting today will determine "if the imposition of an operating ban on Yemenia Yemen Airways applicable in all European Community member states is justified."

At a news conference, Yemenia Chairman Abdulkalek Saleh Al Kadi said, "The aircraft that crashed was in full readiness and had no technical fault at all. . .We are a company that applies international standards. . .The crash has nothing to do with maintenance." He added that the carrier has made a "preliminary decision" to give each victim's family €20,000 ($28,170).

by Aaron Karp

Other headlines: