Aircraft Accidents: Ministry of Transport Opens Comprehensive Investigation

Transport Minister Amar Ghoul announced Sunday in Algiers, the opening of "a thorough and detailed investigation" on the aircraft accidents within the national airline company "Air Algerie" .

"Stringent measures have been taken through the opening last week of a comprehensive and detailed investigation by the General Inspectorate of the Ministry of Transport on Air Algerie," Ghoul said in a statement to the press on the sidelines of the departure of the first group of Algerian hajjis to the holy places of Islam in Boumedienne international airport.

"This is an audit which will involve the management, organization, recruitment, supervision and quality of services of Air Algerie," the minister added.

The national company recorded the last two months several incidents, in addition to repeated technical failures.

On July 24, a Spanish plane chartered by Air Algerie for Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso) -Algiers flight crashed in Mali, causing 116 deaths among the passengers.

A plane from the same company ensuring the flight Constantine Algiers with 61 passengers on board made a U-turn 10 minutes after takeoff Saturday from Mohamed Boudiaf airport, following a technical problem.

A minor incident also occurred last month between two Air Algerie aircraft parked at Houari Boumediene airport.