by Royal » Thu Apr 05, 2012 11:40 am
4 April 2012
Venezuela rejects EU safety ban on state-run Conviasa
Venezuelan authorities say the European Union's decision to ban state-run airline Conviasa from EU airspace over safety concerns is unwarranted.
A foreign ministry statement said they were evaluating reciprocal steps.
The EU said that there had been "numerous safety concerns" regarding Conviasa.
The airline, whose only European destination was Madrid, operates mainly in Venezuela but also has some regional flights.
In a regular update of its air safety list, the EU's executive arm, the European Commission, said there had been "numerous safety concerns arising from accidents and the results of ramp checks at EU airports".
Two other Venezuelan carriers, Estellar Latinoamerica and Aerotuy, have been placed under strict monitoring.
"The decision... is totally disproportionate and runs counter to the considerations made by the International Civil Aviation Organisation, regarding the conditions for the safe operations of Venezuela's civil aviation," a foreign ministry statement said.
On Monday, Venezuelan Transport Minister Elsa Gutierrez said that the government had approved funds of some $500m (£314m) to buy new planes for Conviasa's fleet of planes.
In September 2010, Conviasa suspended its domestic flights for a fortnight to allow safety checks after one of its planes, an ATR-42 turboprop, crashed in Venezuela, killing 17 people.
We have no effective screening methods to make sure pilots are sane.— Dr. Herbert Haynes, FAA.