LAM constraints are in the name of safety, says Civil Aviation Institute of Mozambique

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LAM constraints are in the name of safety, says Civil Aviation Institute of Mozambique

12:25 CAT | 30 Mar 2017

DW (File photo) / Passengers seen here boarding a LAM airplane in a file photo

Mozambique Airlines (LAM) frightens passengers with frequent technical and operational problems, but Mozambique’s Civil Aviation Institute (IACM) denies that there are safety problems.

Just this week, technical problems with two LAM aircraft have been reported by passengers, with videos circulating on social networks. One has to do with three alleged failed take-offs at Maputo airport, resulting in some of the passengers declining to travel in the aircraft and demanding refunds.

DW Africa contacted national airline official, António Abreu, to learn more. “I’m just arriving at the airport now, and I don’t even have charge on my phone. Please call me in an hour,” he politely answered.

But an hour later, the LAM official was not answering DW Africa’s calls. We spoke instead to the Civil Aviation Institute of Mozambique, the body responsible for ensuring compliance with flight safety regulations.

IACM: Safety is the source of the constraints

IACM official João Abreu contradicts the passengers’ testimony. “The story of three attempted take-offs does not correspond to the truth,” he said.

“The first attempt was made to start, the second was made but there was need to fetch support equipment, as far as our investigation found. While the equipment was being fetched the crew disembarked the passengers, which is normal and happens all over the world, but there have not been three aborted take-offs, that is not true.”

Recent reports that the cargo door of one LAM aircraft allegedly opened in mid-flight were also denied by Abreu, who says it was a false alarm.

But these technical frequently frighten passengers, who are beginning to believe that the Mozambican air carrier is unsafe.

Abreu holds the opposite view. “What is happening at the moment is due to the rigour with which the civil aviation authority has been applying standards, because our motto is safety first. We demand [respect] for safety standards. We do not allow aircraft to fly with unreliable equipment, especially from Maputo.”

Credibility and responsibility of LAM

No less challenging are the long delays and cancelled flights, most without warning and without proper assistance fro the passengers.

Passenger Sonia Chambe’s latest experience with LAM is a case in point.

“I had a trip to Quelimane scheduled the day before yesterday. First the flight was scheduled for 17:45 and then there was a postponement to 19:40. I arrived at the airport at that time and the flight was postponed again at 21:50, except that by midnight we had not yet caught the flight and LAM had not given any information. We only arrived in Quelimane at 2 o’clock the following day.”

As to the return flight, scheduled for Thursday, the passenger has already received notice of two postponements.

Passenger Jorge Vaz experienced a similar situation in February on the Maputo-Nampula route. His story calls into question the professionalism and responsibility of the national airline.

“A few minutes before the plane was due to land we had to divert to Beira, where we were told that we could only return to Maputo to catch a plane to Nampula the next day. We practically occupied the plane, so the pilot came out and told us neither he nor we were able to travel, so the flight was cancelled until the next day.

He went on to say: “The justification was weird. They said that there were no landing lights. The joke was that they even asked us if we knew anyone who was responsible for the runway, and could we ask them to go turn on the lights. A serious airline cannot do such a thing,” he concluded.

Source: Deutsche Welle