Do African Countries Need to Run Airlines

I am stuck at the Airport again.

 
Another sad encounter with what passes for African airliners. Do we really need to run such businesses?

I was supposed to be on the 1600 GMT Air Ivoire flight to Abidjan from Dakar. After rushing like mad not to miss check-in, I got into the Departure lounge of the Leopold Sedar Senghor Airport practically panting.

I had barely been handed my ticket and passport by the police officer at the entrance that my phone rang. It was one of the trainers I am supposed to travel with.

“George ca va? Tu es où? Nous sommes à l’aéroport mais on s’apprête à rentrée chez nous. Le vol est reporté à 23h00»

To say the least, he didn’t give me much space to say hello. For those of you who do not speak a lot of French, here’s a quick translation:
 “George, are you alright? We are about to leave the airport for our homes. The flight has been re-scheduled for 11pm.”

Dear readers permit me for once to curse: Bugger!

Two weeks ago or so,  at this same airport I walked in at about 13h30 GMT to catch an Air Senegal International Flight to Bamako Mali that was scheduled to take-off at 1545 GMT. At the registration counter a smiling lady checked-in my luggage and handed over a boarding pass on which was written – 1 dejeuner (lunch). She politely asked me to move to the restaurant to have some food because the flight was delayed. We finally left at about 2145 GMT. 

On the return journey, Air Senegal managed the feat of putting someone else on our seats. “Our” because I was travelling with a team of journalists who had participated in a training session my office organized. After shouts from the angry journalists and some talking on the phone by the Air Senegal International agent, six seats became available. Don’t ask me how?

I was among those who had to stay put. Air Senegal International claimed they had arranged places for us on the Kenya Airways flight to Dakar the next day.

I really do not want to recount the ordeal we went through that Saturday. We discovered that the Kenya Airways flight was fully booked and there was no space for us. To make things worse, there wasn’t a single Air Senegal International staff around. My colleagues in Dakar had to get us on a separate airline -Compagnie Aérienne du Mali.  Keeping to time isn’t their strength either. We were due to fly at 2100 GMT flight, we finally took-off a few minutes after 0100 GMT.

That was the same time at which the Air Senegal International flight I was scheduled to catch at 1600 GMT last July arrived Nouakchott. I would not forget the heat in that little airport which reminded me of a scene I had watched on the movie Wild Geese starring Richard Burton and Roger Moore.

No matter the hurdles faced, I have restrained from bursting with real anger. You know why? My country has got nothing better. Ours was renowned as Air Peut Etre…(Maybe Airlines…). It got so bad the thing was closed down. I am referring to Cameroon Airlines.  Instead of keeping the thing to rest in peace, I gather our dear government is working overtime to resurrect it.

Must we have “national carriers” to exist as nations?  Must all national airlines from francophone countries fly to Paris even without passengers? We cannot run the damn things so why try to own them?

 
Whether state personalities commandeer aircrafts for missions is not our business. We pay for fights on particular days and times to reach a precise destination at a given time. Once that is perturbed everything goes sour.

Let’s really think about this airline business again. 

Comments

[kamer]

LOL @ 'Air Peut Etre'; that was classic!
On a serious note though, ashia for your ordeal on Saturday. With these airlines, one doesn't have to get too optimistic. But I still think half bread is better than nothing? In any case, the good news is that a couple of private air companies are springing up, and maybe they'll offer better services than the national air carriers. I hope so anyway. Case in point; Elysian Airlines of Cameroon. They are trying in spite of being a relatively small company with not so many planes. Well, I hope conditions do improve in the near future. Better luck next time :)

[Gef]

Kamer,

Thank you for thinking about me and my air wahala.

I like the idea of working with the private airlines but sometimes they too could be a real headache. I remember using National Airways Cameroon to the north of Cameroon last January.

A part of the team of journalists who were working on a project with me had to do a good chunk of the trip by road. After waiting for hours for the plane at Maroua Salak airport, the company organised that they travel from Maroua to Garoua by road; got to Garoua only to be told just a few persons could get into the plane. They had to wait for the plane to go down to Yaounde via Douala before returning to pick them up in Garoua. After waiting for all those hours, the plane took them to Douala instead claiming that they had no permission to land in Yaounde at that time. The reporters where then taken to Yaounde by road and only stepped into their homes at 2am!

I am really used to these African shambles and do not usually complain. But I am beginning to think that this half bread matter could lead us into trouble. Why can't we have the full loaf?

In my opinion we can - if we have the right bakers working for the best bakeries.

Ou bien? (As the Ivorians say)

Gef

[Wonja]

Gef, your stories are just as funny as one other airline story I read from Dibussi's blog a few days ago - two forigners who were held hostage for more than a week at the Douala airport coz they refused to bribe officials. We could have better airlines. It all depends on the political will which, for now,is lacking.

Taking a more global view, is there anything that is really working in Cameroonf? This airline stuff is just the tip of the iceberg. In my humble opinion, this country has been hijacked by a group of terrorists.It is only a matter of time before everything crashes with a deafening BANG!