Angola threatens reprisals if EU goes ahead with national airline ban
iht.com
The government warned it could ban European airlines from Angolan airspace, after the EU blacklisted the African country's flag-carrier.
The EU said last week it had added the Angolan airline, TAAG, to its international blacklist, barring it from flying to EU nations because of safety concerns.
Deputy Transport Minister Helder Preza said late Sunday the decision was "groundless."
"If any country with which we have direct relations notifies us that TAAG cannot operate there, we will have to study the decision and act accordingly," Preza told Radio Nacional de Angola, adding that the government would "use the principle of reciprocity."
TAAG operates scheduled flight to Paris and Lisbon, Portugal. Air France, British Airways and TAP Air Portugal all fly to the Angolan capital, Luanda.
TAAG said its fleet was "Africa's most modern," and accused the EU of trying to keep African airlines out of the market, according to a statement.
The EU's announcement Thursday came the same day as a TAAG Boeing 737 crashed on landing at an airport in northern Angola, killing five people. Authorities are investigating the cause.
Earlier this year, the EU unilaterally banned 62 African airlines from flying into EU airspace following a string of air disasters, including a Kenya Airways B737 crash that killed 114 people.
