Burkina Faso government sacks MD of Air Burkina
The government of Burkina Faso has terminated the appointment of the Managing Director of Air Burkina following an engine fire incident involving the airline’s sole aircraft.
Mr Blaise Sanou was relieved of his duties following the incident that occurred on April 27, 2022.
“An Air Burkina type E195 aircraft experienced a technical problem on the tarmac at Ouagadougou airport leading to the disruption of flights. Air Burkina technicians took charge of the aircraft to solve this problem thanks to reactive ground assistance. We reassure public opinion that no passengers were onboard the aircraft. The company makes every effort with its regional partners to take care of its passengers,” the airline said in a statement.
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Three planes belonging to the fifty-year-old airline including two E195 and one E175 – are leased from NAC (Nordic Aviation Capital), but both have been under maintenance at Kenya Airways in Nairobi for months.
Prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, Air Burkina offered flights to eight destinations in Africa: Abidjan, Accra, Bamako, Bobo-Dioulasso, Cotonou, Dakar therefore, Libreville, Lomé, and Niamey, plus Bobo-Dioulasso as the only domestic destination.
Blaise Sanou, a former air force colonel, was appointed in 2017 to head Air Burkina but was never able to carry out the needed restructuring of the airline (partial privatization is now envisaged).
Pending the appointment of a new CEO, the management of the airline will now be ensured by the airline’s technical director.
