7oheaven
28th Oct 2006, 08:28
Found this in my local paper the other day-The Standard newspaper in Kenya, Monday 23 October 2006.
Controversial airline seeks licence to operate in Kenya
By Brian Adero
An airline from Harare that has been linked to war crimes is among 19 applicants seeking licences from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) on Monday morning.
KCAA has called for public hearing over 19 applications for either new or variation of existing air licences to be held today at the East African School of Aviation in Embakasi on Monday.
It brings together local and international applicants. Most of the applicants are applying for charter services to the Coastal region targeting the high tourism season for tourists.
Among the international applicants is Avient Aviation of Zimbabwe, who want to fly non-scheduled cargo air services from Nairobi to Europe and Dubai, without traffic rights from Harare to Nairobi. According to the Sunday Times of London, officials of the airline are likely to be charged in Britain following complaints of their activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo conflict which ended in 2003 with three million people dead.
The newspaper said in a September 10 story that although Avient’s Aviation role was supposed to be logistical, it turned out that the firm was known to participate in bombing raids.
The newspaper quoted a Mr Graham Pelham, who was working for the airline as the DRC country manager, as saying that Avient was providing crew for aircraft involved in military activities, including Antonovs and MI – 24 attack helicopter gunships.
Pelham was then working for Mr Andrew Smith, a former British army officer, the owner of Avient Aviation.
Instead, he was put in charge of helicopter gunship and civil aircraft that had been converted to drop bombs and were being flown by Avient crews. Avient Aviation was providing crews for aircraft involved in military activities including Antonovs and an M1-24 attack helicopter gunship.
"Bombs were being dropped from high altitude and there was no accuracy in it. It was blanket bombing," he said.
Among the other international applicants today are Egypt Air, who are seeking a non – scheduled all cargo air services on routes from Cairo and Sharjah to Eldoret, and Nairobi using Airbuses A 600 and A 300, but without traffic rights between Eldoret and Nairobi.
And then the next day they ADMIT it !!!
KCAA meets agent of ‘war crimes’ airline By Brian Adero
A representative of Avient Aviation has told the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority that reports linking the airline to possible war crimes are true.
This followed an exclusive story in The Standard on Monday on the airline’s involvement in military activities during the 2003 conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mr Barry Tomlienson, appearing before the KCAA licensing committee, said that the allegations were under investigation.
"I cannot dispute the allegations in both The Standard and in the Sunday Times of London, but investigations are underway," Tomlienson said. "Yes, we had offered services in the DRC and in Rwanda," he said. He did not elaborate what kind of services the airline offered.
Avent Aviation is among 19 airlines that have either applied for new licences to fly into the country or for renewal of expired licences. Tomlienson was representing them at hearings for new airline applicants, which were held at the East African School of Aviation.
According to a Mr Graham Pelham, a former manager with the airline, Avient Aviation crews were hired to help with logistics. However, they also took part in blanket bombing raids and crewed aircraft involved in other attacks.
According to the Sunday Times London, officials of the airline are likely to face charges in Britain over these activities. On hearing Tomlienson’s admission KCAA Director General, Mr Chris Kuto asked him to appear before KCAA’s secretariat.
"I think the Avient representative has a lot to tell us on what they know regarding the allegations in the newspapers," Kuto said. "We want you to come to the secretariat and explain your case."
The secretariat, he added, will investigate the conduct of the airline, their origin, their bank accounts, the type of aircraft they operate and the conduct of their directors. Tomlienson promised to give more details on the allegations to the KCCA.
"All I can say for now is that the authorities in those countries are doing their investigations," he said.
The Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Association of Air Operators, Colonel (Rtd) Waithaka warned against allowing Avient to operate in Kenya.
"People with questionable characters should not be amongst us," Waithaka said.
It also emerged that the airline is already flying to Kenya as a cargo airline. Avient is applying for variation of their current two-year licence to allow them to run passenger flights.
Kuto thanked The Standard for breaking the Avient story.
"As the world is under terrorist threat, such airlines have no business flying in on our skies," Kuto said.
He promised that KCAA would find the truth of the matter, now that the airline had admitted knowledge of the allegations contained the newspaper stories.
"We are waiting for him to explain to us his real operations," Kuto said.
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Controversial airline seeks licence to operate in Kenya
By Brian Adero
An airline from Harare that has been linked to war crimes is among 19 applicants seeking licences from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) on Monday morning.
KCAA has called for public hearing over 19 applications for either new or variation of existing air licences to be held today at the East African School of Aviation in Embakasi on Monday.
It brings together local and international applicants. Most of the applicants are applying for charter services to the Coastal region targeting the high tourism season for tourists.
Among the international applicants is Avient Aviation of Zimbabwe, who want to fly non-scheduled cargo air services from Nairobi to Europe and Dubai, without traffic rights from Harare to Nairobi. According to the Sunday Times of London, officials of the airline are likely to be charged in Britain following complaints of their activities in the Democratic Republic of Congo conflict which ended in 2003 with three million people dead.
The newspaper said in a September 10 story that although Avient’s Aviation role was supposed to be logistical, it turned out that the firm was known to participate in bombing raids.
The newspaper quoted a Mr Graham Pelham, who was working for the airline as the DRC country manager, as saying that Avient was providing crew for aircraft involved in military activities, including Antonovs and MI – 24 attack helicopter gunships.
Pelham was then working for Mr Andrew Smith, a former British army officer, the owner of Avient Aviation.
Instead, he was put in charge of helicopter gunship and civil aircraft that had been converted to drop bombs and were being flown by Avient crews. Avient Aviation was providing crews for aircraft involved in military activities including Antonovs and an M1-24 attack helicopter gunship.
"Bombs were being dropped from high altitude and there was no accuracy in it. It was blanket bombing," he said.
Among the other international applicants today are Egypt Air, who are seeking a non – scheduled all cargo air services on routes from Cairo and Sharjah to Eldoret, and Nairobi using Airbuses A 600 and A 300, but without traffic rights between Eldoret and Nairobi.
And then the next day they ADMIT it !!!
KCAA meets agent of ‘war crimes’ airline By Brian Adero
A representative of Avient Aviation has told the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority that reports linking the airline to possible war crimes are true.
This followed an exclusive story in The Standard on Monday on the airline’s involvement in military activities during the 2003 conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Mr Barry Tomlienson, appearing before the KCAA licensing committee, said that the allegations were under investigation.
"I cannot dispute the allegations in both The Standard and in the Sunday Times of London, but investigations are underway," Tomlienson said. "Yes, we had offered services in the DRC and in Rwanda," he said. He did not elaborate what kind of services the airline offered.
Avent Aviation is among 19 airlines that have either applied for new licences to fly into the country or for renewal of expired licences. Tomlienson was representing them at hearings for new airline applicants, which were held at the East African School of Aviation.
According to a Mr Graham Pelham, a former manager with the airline, Avient Aviation crews were hired to help with logistics. However, they also took part in blanket bombing raids and crewed aircraft involved in other attacks.
According to the Sunday Times London, officials of the airline are likely to face charges in Britain over these activities. On hearing Tomlienson’s admission KCAA Director General, Mr Chris Kuto asked him to appear before KCAA’s secretariat.
"I think the Avient representative has a lot to tell us on what they know regarding the allegations in the newspapers," Kuto said. "We want you to come to the secretariat and explain your case."
The secretariat, he added, will investigate the conduct of the airline, their origin, their bank accounts, the type of aircraft they operate and the conduct of their directors. Tomlienson promised to give more details on the allegations to the KCCA.
"All I can say for now is that the authorities in those countries are doing their investigations," he said.
The Chief Executive Officer, Kenya Association of Air Operators, Colonel (Rtd) Waithaka warned against allowing Avient to operate in Kenya.
"People with questionable characters should not be amongst us," Waithaka said.
It also emerged that the airline is already flying to Kenya as a cargo airline. Avient is applying for variation of their current two-year licence to allow them to run passenger flights.
Kuto thanked The Standard for breaking the Avient story.
"As the world is under terrorist threat, such airlines have no business flying in on our skies," Kuto said.
He promised that KCAA would find the truth of the matter, now that the airline had admitted knowledge of the allegations contained the newspaper stories.
"We are waiting for him to explain to us his real operations," Kuto said.
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