Aircraft

Arab carriers are standing behind Yemenia over an escalating diplomatic conflict with France in the wake of the fatal Airbus A310 crash earlier this year.

Yemenia is to suspend its Paris service and is also temporarily halting sales on some other European routes.

Speaking to Flight International at the Arab Air Carriers Organisation conference in Jeddah, Yemenia chief Abdulkalek Al-Kadi said the airline had been "attacked day and night" by French government officials.

Al-Kadi is threatening legal action over the "harassment" to which Yemenia, he alleges, has been subjected by the Franch transport ministry.

"Because it has caused a bad reputation, it has diverted our passengers," he adds, pointing out that the investigation into the accident has not been completed.

The situation was formally tabled during the AACO meeting, at which the member carriers expressed "solidarity" with Yemenia.

"Yemenia has been suffering from ill-treatment bordering on prejudice," claims AACO secretary general Abdul Wahab Teffaha.

He says that AACO representatives intend to intervene by meeting with European Commission officials in a bid to seek a resolution, and establish the reasons behind the problems experienced by the airline.

Teffaha says he wants the Commission to "listen to our grievances" and adds that Yemenia is willing to undergo safety inspections as long as they are carried out transparently, without "baseless allegations".

The European Commission's transport division states that Yemenia's operations are not subject to any restrictions - total or partial - in Europe.

But it says that an inquiry was taken up on 1 July "following information regarding the continuing airworthiness and maintenance of its aircraft".

Yemenia's case, it adds, will be discussed at an air safety committee meeting scheduled for November, where participants will update the European airline 'blacklist'. There is no indication whether Yemenia will be included on the list.

"There is an ongoing close co-operation between [Commission officials] and the authorities of Yemen, and the airline, to verify the safety situation of Yemenia," says the EC transport division.

Yemenia has an order for Airbus A350s but while Al-Kadi says the carrier has been reconsidering the deal, he indicates that the airline is realistically unlikely to cancel the agreement.