Air France cancels Cameroon flights in airline row

Air France cancelled its flights to Cameroon yesterday in an escalating row over safety triggered by France's decision to ban national carrier Cameroon Airlines from its skies.

The move cut the main transport link between France and its impoverished former colony, severing Cameroon's most important gateway into Europe and temporarily stranding hundreds.

Air France said yesterday that it had cancelled its flights because some ground assistance services at the airport in Douala - Cameroon's main commercial city and transport hub - could not be guaranteed.

"Because the handling services at Douala airport cannot be guaranteed, Air France has been forced to cancel its flights until Monday," a spokeswoman said in Paris. A Cameroon aviation trade union boss had threatened unspecified action against Air France unless the French Civil Aviation Authority reversed its decision on Friday to bar Cameroon Airlines from flying over France.

"We are also going to take firm measures against Air France because their action is unfair," Eyango Djong told state radio.

An Air France plane on its way to Douala late on Friday turned around and went back to Paris, airport officials said. The French Civil Aviation Authority (DGAC) added Cameroon Airlines to a blacklist of banned airlines on Friday. It said that checks this spring on Cameroon Airlines' aircraft had found "numerous lapses from international norms", notably with the loading of planes, the transport of dangerous goods, navigation documents and tyre maintenance.

French and Cameroonian authorities had tried to fix the problems but new checks showed "persistent anomalies remained".

Cameroon voiced dismay at the move, which deals a big blow to the airline, already hit by debts and dwindling customers.