New planes help Cameroon's hopes soar

Two new Chinese turboprop airliners, designed to operate in rugged conditions, are expected to significantly expand air travel in the country

Cameroon's purchase of two Xi'an MA60 aircraft from China is a sign of further mutually beneficial collaboration to come, officials in the Central African country said.

The turboprop-powered airliners, produced by China's Xi'an Aircraft Industrial Corp under the Aviation Industry Corporation of China, cost a reported total of $60 million as part of a package and have been hailed as a symbol of a healthy partnership between the two nations.

Two Xi'an MA60 aircraft from China arrive at Douala International Airport on April 1. Photos provided to China Daily

The planes, described as an advanced version of the aircraft model, can each carry 60 passengers. They arrived on April 1 in Douala, Cameroon's largest city.

"China has a real sense of what African governments need," says Georges Bertrand Kouamo, a business executive based in Douala. "My dream is to see our authorities doing their best to renovate old, long-abandoned airports, and I don't know if China can also find a way to help."

Mounouna Fotsou, a senior official with the Ministry of Transport, adds: "Let us all celebrate the arrival of these new planes and find the ways and means to take care of this equipment, build or rehabilitate old airports, and convince our Chinese friends we are able to buy more."

Traveling by air within Cameroon is not easy because regions are far apart and the aviation sector, including the national carrier, Cameroon Airlines Corp, known as Camair-Co, has few planes.

The MA60 is designed to operate in rugged conditions with limited ground support and short runways.

"With this new aircraft, many of my countrymen who have never traveled by air will have the opportunity to do it at a low cost," says Denise Fampou, mayor of Douala.

Minister of Transport Robert Nkili says: "Camair-Co should be commercially aggressive so that we can soon see the MA60 aircraft on the tarmac at the airport of Bamenda, Bafoussam, Tiko, Bertoua, etc," mentioning four secondary cities in Cameroon.

China presented Cameroon's first MA60 as a gift in 2012. The plane was used to evacuate Cameroonian citizens affected by fighting in the Central African Republic.

"I remember when China offered this plane, the national media said it was a curious gift and that, around the world, this sort of plane had had many crashes and was not efficient," said Hilaire Nzipan, who sits on the Douala city council. "This plane nowadays is used by our military and, as of now, there has been no problem."

Some Cameroonian officials have complained of a lack of transparency in the deal.

Osih Josuah, a deputy to Cameroon's parliament, the National Assembly, says that during a session in March he and many of his colleagues raised questions over the numbers presented by Nkili, saying Congo-Brazzaville had paid less for the same planes.

"At the next assembly session in June, we will need to have more information about these planes," Deputy Hermine Patricia Ndam Njoya says. "We have already visited the Republic of Congo. We saw the data and the price was lower. We're about to travel to China to compare the data we have."

She says those Congo-Brazzaville planes cost about $11 million to $12 million each, based on an official release of the Congo government in the publication Young Africa.

Nkili has denied any irregularities, saying the economic situation in his country bares little resemblance to that of the Republic of Congo.

"To those talking only about the price and the performance of these planes, I would like to remind them that they are brand new and are used safely all over the world," he says.

He says the procurement process had been started in 2011 under his guidance and that of President Paul Biya, who visited China shortly after then-Chinese president Hu Jintao's trip to Cameroon in 2007.

In an interview in Cameroon's capital, Yaound, in April, Nkili said the objections are "simply a question of ignorance of the issue".

"The MA60 aircraft that are used by Congo-Brazzaville are from the same generation, the same age as those of Cameroon. They were acquired virtually the same month, and I have documents that show the costs. It is not a secret."

Nkili said the cost to Cameroon was increased due to the need to build up a spare parts inventory, and also for Cameroonian staff to undergo extensive training on the aircraft, including training in China.

Xu Bo, vice-president of AVIC, said: "The price that we have given is that of the overall package of the project. This means that it is not only the plane.

"We also provide staff training and a large amount of spare parts including a spare engine that is very expensive. We will also send a team of experts who will work with Camair-Co. We are willing to accompany Camair-Co for regular maintenance and technical visits."

Nzipan, of Douala's city council, says he hopes the planes will inspire Cameroonian parents to motivate their children to become pilots in the future.

For China Daily

(China Daily Africa Weekly 05/15/2015 page20)