Airlines asked to pay 1 mln USD to Ethiopian Airlines

The former Gabonese national carrier, Gabon Airlines, which collapsed about two years ago, has been asked to pay Ethiopian Airlines 1 million U.S. dollars before March 28. Gabon's national radio announced on Sunday that this payment will be used to cover for the maintenance cost of a Boeing 767-200 that belonged to Gabon Airlines. The Ethiopian company had written several letters to the Gabonese company which remained silent, the report said. The latest letter dated March 12, 2012 asked Gabon Airlines to pay a sum of 1 million dollars before March 28. Beyond this date, Ethiopian Airlines plans to sell a plane owned by the Gabon Airlines, which has been parked at the Addis Ababa airport in Ethiopia. The money obtained from the sale will help to liquidate the debt. The Boeing 767-200 of Gabon Airlines arrived in Ethiopia in 2010 for maintenance exercise. It was never allowed to leave the country, which had not given the reasons for its immobilization, according to Gabon's state radio. Gabon later withdrew the operating licence of Gabon Airlines whose management had been given to a strong Gabonese lobby group. Gabon Airlines was created between 2004 and 2005 after the collapse of the Air Gabon national company, which was liquidated after a series of setbacks resulting from poor management.