MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Sudan aircraft had “technical problems” says Aerolineas

Argentina's flag air carrier Aerolíneas Argentinas last year had the opportunity to charter the Airbus 310 which caught fire in Sudan, killing at least 100 people, but the operation did not advance because of “technical problems” in the aircraft revealed the company in Buenos Aires.

The aircraft operated by Sudan Airways went into flames after landing with 214 passengers, in the international airport of Khartoum. Aerolineas released a communiqué to clear statements from a union leader of the company who said it had been the (Argentine) pilots who detected the technical problems and strongly advised against the chartering of the aircraft. The company which is partly owned by the Spanish group Marsans, the Argentine government and other private shareholders said that although in January 2007 it began discussions to charter the Airbus 310, it finally decided to cancel the operation. "In September 2007 and as a consequence of the technical inspection done by maintenance staff from the company, it was decided to desist on the convenience of incorporating the aircraft to our fleet", said the release. "Aerolineas Argentinas also points out that it's not in the dominion of pilots to make technical inspections of aircrafts to be incorporated, since that professional responsibility is an exclusive and excluding competence of the technical area of the company". The causes of the fire that ravaged the Sudan Airways aircraft are still unknown. Aerolineas Argentinas which is Argentina's main airline and flies to Europe, United States and South America dominates the domestic market. The Spanish group Marsans currently has the majority equity but is in the process of negotiating the incorporation of an Argentine businessman who is interested in holding 35% participation. The Argentine government holds 20%, the company's staff 5% and several Argentine provinces share another 5%.