AB Aviation
{{Short description|Airline of the Comoros}}
{{Infobox airline
| logo = AB Aviation logo.png
| logo_size =
| airline = AB Aviation
| fleet_size = 4
| destinations = 5
| ICAO = CIK
| callsign = AYAD
| parent =
| company_slogan =
| founded = 2011
| headquarters = Moroni, Comoros
| key_people =
| bases = {{nowrap|Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport}}
| secondary_hubs =
| focus_cities =
| frequent_flyer =
| lounge =
| alliance =
| website = {{URL|https://www.flyabaviation.com}}
| image =
| ceased = March 19, 2022 (suspended)
| aoc =
| hubs =
| num_employees =
}}
AB Aviation was a private regional airline and the largest in the Comoros{{cite web |url=https://abaviation.aerocrs.net/error/404 |title=abaviation |website=abaviation.aerocrs.net |access-date=2019-02-26 |archive-date=2019-02-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190227120816/https://abaviation.aerocrs.net/error/404 |url-status=dead}} headquartered and based at Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport.[https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/airline/AYD ch-aviation.com - AB Aviation] retrieved 3 June 2022 Following a fatal accident on 26 February 2022, the airline's air operator's certificate was revoked.
History
AB Aviation was founded in 2011 with its main purpose being to fill in the gap left by Air Service Comores and Comores Aviation, with both having ceased operations.{{cite news |title=AB Aviation: Un ultime plan de redressement d’ici vendredi |trans-title=AB Aviation: An ultimate recovery plan by friday |url=https://lejournaldemayotte.yt/2017/02/19/ab-aviation-un-ultime-plan-de-redressement-dici-vendredi/ |access-date=22 September 2024 |work=Le Journal de Mayotte |date=19 February 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240922081516/https://lejournaldemayotte.yt/2017/02/19/ab-aviation-un-ultime-plan-de-redressement-dici-vendredi/ |archive-date=22 September 2024 |url-status=live |language=French}}
In September 2016, the National Civil Aviation and Meteorological Agency of Comoros (ANACM) revoked the airworthiness of AB Aviation's Boeing 737, citing problems regarding the aircraft's hydraulic systems within its shock absorbers. The Boeing 737 was sent to South Africa to judge whether the aircraft was airworthy.{{cite news |title=Comores : les compagnies aériennes dans le rouge |trans-title=Comoros : Airlines in trouble |url=https://www.linfo.re/ocean-indien/les-comores/709881-comores-les-compagnies-aeriennes-dans-le-rouge |access-date=22 September 2024 |work=Linfo.re |date=9 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170319212544/http://www.linfo.re:80/ocean-indien/les-comores/709881-comores-les-compagnies-aeriennes-dans-le-rouge |archive-date=19 March 2017 |url-status=live |language=French}} In November, one of the airline's Embraer aircraft was grounded for 15 days. In February 2019, the airline became partners with Hahn Air Systems GmbH and joined its H1-Air network, gaining access to 100,000 travel agencies.{{cite press release |date=14 February 2019 |title=AB Aviation enters GDSs with Hahn Air Systems’ product H1-Air |url=https://www.hahnair.com/en/press-release/8205/2019-02-14/ab-aviation-enters-gdss-with-hahn-air-systems-product-h1-air |publisher=Hahn Air Systems GmbH |access-date=1 February 2019}}
On 19 March 2022, the Comorian Civil Aviation revoked the air operator's certificate of AB Aviation, halting all operations.{{Cite web |title=La compagnie AB aviation perd sa licence de vols |url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/mayotte/la-compagnie-ab-aviation-perd-sa-licence-de-vols-1262919.html |access-date=2022-04-20 |website=Mayotte la 1ère |date=22 March 2022 |language=fr-FR}} The airline, which was accused of not having insured the passengers, was sentenced by a civil court to pay the victims of the plane crash €600,000 in compensation.{{cite news |last1=Youssouffa |first1=Ilona |title=Toujours pas de réponses pour les familles, deux ans après le crash du vol d’A.B. Aviation au large de Mohéli |trans-title=Still no answers for the families, two years after the crash of an AB Aviation flight off Mohéli |url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/mayotte/toujours-pas-de-reponses-pour-les-familles-deux-ans-apres-le-crash-du-vol-d-a-b-aviation-au-large-de-moheli-1527802.html |access-date=29 January 2025 |work=Mayotte La Première |date=10 October 2024 |language=fr-FR}}{{cite news |title=Comores - Accident Ab Aviation : la justice exige l’indemnisation des victimes |trans-title=Comoros – Accident Ab Aviation : the justice demands the compensation of the victims |url=https://www.linfo.re/ocean-indien/les-comores/comores-accident-ab-aviation-la-justice-exige-l-indemnisation-des-victimes |access-date=29 January 2025 |work=Linfo.re |date=1 October 2024 |language=fr}}
Services
= Destinations =
File:ZS-OTD Embraer Emb.120 (7690076264).jpg]]
As of August 2018, AB Aviation served the following destinations:{{cite web |url=https://abaviation.aerocrs.net/ |title=abaviation |website=abaviation.aerocrs.net |access-date=2019-02-26 |archive-date=2019-06-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190622114052/https://abaviation.aerocrs.net// |url-status=dead}}
;Comoros
- Anjouan - Ouani Airport
- Moheli - Mohéli Bandar Es Eslam Airport
- Moroni - Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport
;France (Mayotte)
;Tanzania
= Fleet =
Historically, the airline's fleet included the following aircraft:{{cite web |url=https://abaviation.aerocrs.net/en/About-Us/Our-Fleets |title=Our Fleets |publisher=AB Aviation |access-date=2019-06-22 |archive-date=2019-06-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190622114009/https://abaviation.aerocrs.net/en/About-Us/Our-Fleets |url-status=dead}}
- 1 Beechcraft C90E
- 1 Boeing 737-200
- 1 Cessna Grand Caravan
- 1 Embraer ERJ 145
- 3 Embraer EMB 120 (including 2 Embraer EMB120ER)
- 1 Let L-410 Turbolet
Accidents and incidents
= AB Aviation Flight 1103 =
File:5H-MZA, Ce208B Grand Caravan, Fly Zanzibar.jpg
On February 26, 2022, a Cessna 208D Caravan registered 5H-MZA leased from Fly Zanzibar, operating as AB Aviation Flight 1103 and flying from Prince Said Ibrahim International Airport to Mohéli Airport, crashed about 2.5 km into the Indian Ocean. All 14 occupants on board the aircraft were killed.{{cite news |last1=Malanga |first1=Alex Nelson |title=14 missing as Tanzania registered plane crashes off the Comoros |url=https://www.thecitizen.co.tz/tanzania/news/national/14-missing-as-tanzania-registered-plane-crashes-off-the-comoros-3731940 |access-date=1 February 2025 |work=The Citizen |date=28 February 2022 |language=en}}{{Cite news |title=Comores : disparition d'un avion transportant 14 personnes au large de Mohéli |url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/reunion/comores-crash-d-un-avion-au-large-de-moheli-1241257.html |access-date=2022-02-26 |work=La Première |date=26 February 2022 |language=fr-FR}}{{Cite web |title=ASN Aircraft accident Cessna 208B Grand Caravan EX 5H-MZA Mohéli-Bandar es Eslam Airport (NWA) |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=20220226-0 |access-date=2022-02-26 |website=aviation-safety.net}}{{Cite web |date=2022-02-27 |title=Plane with 14 people on board crashes in the Comoros |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/plane-with-14-people-on-board-crashes-in-the-comoros-101645902330430.html |access-date=2022-02-26 |website=Hindustan Times |language=en}} The flight had taken off off from Mohéli Airport at 11:50 EAT.{{cite news |title=Comores : un avion porté disparu entre Mohéli et Moroni |trans-title=Comoros : a missing plane between Mohéli and Moroni |url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/mayotte/comores-un-avion-porte-disparu-entre-moheli-et-moroni-1241284.html |access-date=29 January 2025 |work=Mayotte la 1ère |date=26 February 2022 |language=fr-FR}}
No distress calls or technical faults were issued by the pilots.{{cite news |last1=Issa |first1=Mohamed |title=Zanzibar VP: Govt following up on Comoros plane crash |url=https://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/news/east-africa/zanzibar-vp-on-comoros-plane-crash-3734644 |access-date=1 February 2025 |work=The EastAfrican |date=2 March 2022 |language=en}} Search and rescues were hampered by bad weather conditions, which had been present for several days over the Comoros islands. The Comorian Government declared three days of national mourning.{{cite news |title=بعد حادث تحطم طائرة آب: قاضي القضاة يدعو المواطنين إلى أداء صلاة الغائب على أرواح الضحايا بعد صلاة الجمعة اليوم |trans-title= |url=https://alwatwan.net/edition-arabe/بعد-حادث-تحطم-طائرة-آب-قاضي-القضاة-يدعو-المواطنين-إلى-أداء-صلاة-الغائب.html |access-date=29 January 2025 |work=Al-Watwan |date=4 March 2022 |language=ar-KM}} The Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority sent a team of investigators to assist in the investigation.{{cite news |title=Tanzania to dispatch aviation experts to Comoros to investigate plane accident |url=https://english.news.cn/africa/20220301/f76006ea807340bc87c06db6a5f49469/c.html |access-date=1 February 2025 |work=Xinhua News Agency |date=1 March 2022 |location=Dar es Salaam, Tanzania}} As of 2023, the wreckage remains missing with only one unidentified body having been found.{{cite news |first=Bruno |last=Minas |title=Les proches des victimes du crash d’AB Aviation n’ont que leurs yeux pour pleurer |trans-title=The relatives of the crash of AB Aviation only have their eyes to cry |url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/mayotte/les-proches-des-victimes-du-crash-d-ab-aviation-n-ont-que-leurs-yeux-pour-pleurer-1404338.html |access-date=22 September 2024 |work=La Première |date=9 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240527131305/https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/mayotte/les-proches-des-victimes-du-crash-d-ab-aviation-n-ont-que-leurs-yeux-pour-pleurer-1404338.html |archive-date=27 May 2024 |url-status=live |language=French}}
In October 2024, a report from the commission investigating the crash criticized the pilots' lack of familiarization regarding the scheduled route. The report also noted that the pilots were unaware of the weather conditions along the flight path. A succession of "major" errors led to the aircraft crashing. As a result of the accident, single-engined aircraft were banned from flying in the Comoros.{{cite news |title=Comores : « Int’Air Îles » espère revenir à Mayotte |trans-title=Comoros : " Int'Air Îles " hopes to return to Mayotte |url=https://la1ere.francetvinfo.fr/mayotte/comores-int-air-iles-espere-revenir-a-mayotte-1336176.html |access-date=29 January 2025 |work=Mayotte la 1ère |date=1 November 2022 |language=fr-FR}}
See also
{{portal|Companies}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.flyabaviation.com Official website]
{{Portal bar|France|Companies|Aviation}}
Category:Defunct airlines of the Comoros
Category:Airlines established in 2011
Category:Airlines disestablished in 2022