The Minister of Finance on September 11, 2015 launched a bid for the recruitment of a consultant.

The skies appear clearer for Cameroon’s national air carrier, Camair-Co. After weeks of uncertainty caused by a breakdown of the Boeing 767-300 ER christened the “Dja” and the Boeing 737-700, passengers of the company to Mecca, Congo Brazzaville, Kinshasa and Contonou have sinced Monday and Saturday heaved a sigh of relief.

Although the two aircraft that are alleged to have been the causes of the national carrier’s recent doom are flying at last, the company’s troubles are far from over. Camair-Co’s worries are double-fold, with its General Manager, Jean Paul Nana Sandjo, insisting on “Cameroon Calling” on CRTV Radio September 13, 20145, that insufficient aircraft were to blame for the company’s woes.

In June this year, government secured a FCFA 25 billion loan within a plan to relaunch the company. Priority was the purchase of new aircraft to add to the three the company owns. However, the funds are yet to be disbursed as government instructed a forensic audit of the company. To this effect, the Minister of Finance, Alamine Ousmane Mey, on September 11, 2015, launched a bid for the recruitment of a consultant to audit the company and draw up a restructuring plan that will help relaunch its activities. The tender indicates that the 2013 plan that was updated in 2014 has not been implemented. The business plan that Camair-Co submitted as prerequisite for the loan is yet to convince government. It is for this reason that government is seeking to recruit a consultant that will carry out a strategic and operational audit of the company.

An expert in Civil Aviation who preferred not to be named told Cameroon Tribune that by laying emphasis on a strategic audit, government intends to asses the viability of Camair-Co flight expansion programme and business plan that brings out the profitability and reliability of flight destinations. An operational audit, on the other hand, means that the consultant is expected to bring out the situation of the company, its flight destinations, logistics and personnel needs, with emphasis on profitability. The mission of the would-be consultant is hinged on assisting Camair-Co in its dream to fly higher.

The “Dja” Is Back!

The “Dja” that suffered technical failure as its engine became faulty is reported to have resumed flights in the wee hours of Monday September 14, 2015. Sources say the aicraft arrive the Douala International Airport at 3 a.m from the Garoua airport before taking off for Mecca, the Holy Land with pilgrims. The aircraft was repaired in France. The Boeing 737-700, on its part, suffered small technical hitches and was supposed to undergo repairs in Kenya. With collaboration from Ethiopian Airlines, the aircraft successfully underwent repairs in Douala where it is reported to have resumed flights on Saturday September 12, 2015, transporting passengers since then to local and regional destinations with flights to Cotonou, Congo Brazzaville and Kinshasa.