Authorities mull prospect of Antonov 12 flying again

Concern about aircraft registered with poor safety oversight, but operators resist ban.

Security personnel stand near a Aero Service Antonov 12 cargo plane that hit a Canadian Airways Boeing 727 last year in the Congo.

Civil aviation authorities expect to decide in the next month whether a ban on Ukrainian-made Antonov 12 aircraft in the Emirates should be rescinded or become permanent. The ban was imposed after four incidents involving the aeroplane in the past three months. A number of air cargo and maintenance firms based in the Emirates - an emerging hub for relief missions to war-torn countries in the region - remain in limbo until the judgement. At least one humanitarian mission, due to deliver supplies from Sharjah airport to Somalia, was affected by the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority's (GCAA) decision on Jan 8.

"There is an investigation ongoing and we hope that we will be concluding this soon," said Saif Mohammed al Suwaidi, the director general of the GCAA. "Our concern is safety, and with the incidents that happened, we thought it would be better to suspend the aircraft from flying and go and dig for reasons why they occurred." The GCAA said it would bring in experts from the aircraft manufacturer, the International Civil Aviation Organisation, and the European Air Safety Agency for guidance.

The worst incident, on Nov 13 in Iraq, involved a UAE-bound plane that crashed shortly after take-off, killing all seven aboard. Cargo flights using the Antonov (An-12) were involved in runway incursions at Sharjah airport on Oct 24, Jan 2 and Jan 6. At least two of the incidents in Sharjah involved aircraft registered in the African island nation of Sao Tome and Principe, and sources say the GCAA first responded by banning all aircraft registered from the country. The following day, authorities extended the ban to include any An-12.

Industry observers say the incidents raise concerns over aircraft registered in countries with weak safety oversight. Cargo operators, however, say the incidents were caused by human error and a blanket ban on the aircraft was unwarranted. "It was a sudden, unexpected decision," said Alexander Kolganov, the general manager of Transliz Aviation, based in Sharjah and Fujairah. Mr Kolganov said he was unable to comply with the GCAA's directive to fly the aircraft out of the country within five days. He said his company had invested heavily on the aircraft, including maintaining two warehouses filled with An-12 parts in Sharjah.

Rus Aviation, based in Sharjah, cancelled a relief mission to Somalia and has sent seven of nine An-12s back to their countries of registration, which include Georgia, Armenia and Kyrgyzstan. The Antonov 12 is considered an air cargo workhorse, capable of flying and landing in any conditions. It is a four-engine, turboprop aircraft offering the highest profitability of any aircraft for routes between 2,000km to 3,000km, according to operators. Its ability to land on runways as short as 1.5km, including those covered by gravel, grass or ice, has made it a popular craft to fly food and medical supplies to Afghanistan, Iraq and impoverished African nations. Although it was last produced in 1973, it is believed there are still more than 500 in operation today.

In the Emirates, the biggest base for the An-12 is Sharjah. About seven firms operating a fleet of more than 15 of the aircraft are based there, according to Ali Midfa, the airport's director. The UN uses Sharjah as a base for relief missions, and the airport is home to one of six UN Humanitarian Air Services offices worldwide that gauge the airworthiness of private cargo carrier fleets that work with the UN.

There are also operators using the aeroplane in Fujairah and Ras al Khaimah. "It [the ban] definitely has an effect on business," said Michelle Soliman, the chief executive of RAK airport. "On the other hand, we need to support the GCAA in relation to air safety." Mr al Suwaidi said the aircraft was not the only type suitable for relief missions. Cargo operators could use the Ilyushin-76 and the western-made, Hercules C-130, he said.

But Mr Kolganov said: "There is no analogue for [the An-12] aircraft in the world right now," and described the Hercules chassis as too low to the ground for some runway landings. Transliz operates Antonov 12 aircraft registered in Sao Tome and Principe, but these aeroplanes were not involved in any of the GCAA-listed incidents. [e-mail]