/ 14 March 1999

ANGOLA GROUNDS KILLER AIRLINES

ANGOLAN authorities have grounded seven airlines deemed irregular and most frequently involved in accidents, officials said on Friday. This comes after an Antonov-12 plane crashed in a heavily populated area of the capital, Luanda, on February 2, killing 30 people. Since then aviation officials have clamped down on airlines and have expelled three Ukranians involved in overloading aircraft, one of the causes of accidents, according to authorities. Meanwhile, the Angolan Pilots Association has branded the country’s air space as dangerous, pointing to a lack of reliable air traffic control and radio network.