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Saturday, July 7, 2012

► CHAD: Toumaï Air Tchad grounded by authorities after IATA audit finds serious safety shortcomings.

Toumaï Air TchadChadian state carrier Toumaï Air Tchad (9D), along with two other unspecified airlines, have been grounded indefinitely by Chadian authorities in Ndjamena following a damning safety audit of the airlines by IATA, which uncovered serious safety shortcomings.

In the past, the US has forbidden its diplomats from  flying with the airline over serious safety concerns.

Reuters news-wire quoted Chad's Transport Ministry as saying:
Toumai Air Tchad's Route Map
Toumai Air Tchad's Network (airroute)
""The civil aviation authority has withdrawn Toumai Air's airline transport certificate and those of two others due to serious security issues," Mahamat Aware Neissa, secretary general of Chad's transport ministry told Reuters.
"Toumai Air Chad and the two companies will no longer operate international flights," Neissa said, without giving further details about the reasons of the suspension nor the duration, and without naming the other two companies."
Read More Here [Reuters]

Toumai Air Tchad Fokker
Toumai Air Tchad's lone F28 "TT-EAS" (Fokker)

Prior to the banning, Toumaï Air Tchad operated flights to Benin, Cameroon, The Central African Republic, Cote d'Ivoire, Gabon, Congo (Brazzaville), Togo, Dubai and Saudi Arabia using a solitary Fokker F28 ("TT-EAS"); a previous leased Boeing 737-200 was ceased by creditors.