France says Yemenia could be banned in Europe (Roundup)

Jul 3, 2009, 13:17 GMT

Paris - The Yemeni airline Yemenia could be placed on a black list and banned from flying in Europe if it did not improve the condition of its aircraft, French Junior Minister for Transport Dominique Bussereau said Friday.

The carrier 'must make a big effort' to avoid being blacklisted by Brussels, Bussereau told RTL radio, adding that the company was 'under close observation.'

A Yemenia Airbus A310 crashed into the Indian Ocean near the Comoros islands on Tuesday, killing 152 people. The only survivor was a 12-year-old girl. The flight had originated in Paris, with a change to the crash aircraft during a Yemen stopover.

The same aircraft was banned from landing in France in 2007 after an inspection turned up a number of irregularities. Yemenia claims they were repaired and that the plane was safe.

French media reported Friday that Yemenia has suspended flights in and out of the French city of Marseille after several hundred protesters disrupted the registration of passengers on their way to the Yemeni capital Sana'a.

The protesters were relatives of some of the people killed in Tuesday's crash. They accuse Yemenia of flying unsafe planes and charge that the crash was caused by defects in the aircraft.

The suspension, which will last for an 'undetermined period,' was announced late Thursday after demonstrators forced Yemenia to cancel two flights out of Marseille.

Of the 152 people killed in the crash, 63 came from Marseille, which has a large Cormoran community.