Bashir wants those behind Sudan’s loss of landing slot at Heathrow airport held to account

March 6, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese President Omer Hassan al-Bashir on Wednesday reviewed results of a probe into Sudan Airways’ highly controversial loss of a landing slot at Heathrow airport in London and ordered that those responsible should be held to account.

The transportation minister Ahmed Babiker Nahar said following his meeting with Bashir today that the presidents wants the landing slot reinstated or in the alternative have the airline reimbursed.

Nahar said that the Sudan Airways CEO and former investment minister Al-Sharif Ahmed Omer Badr has been implicated in the scandal.

Badr has reportedly approved sale of the Heathrow slot to British Midland International (BMI) for millions of dollars.

Badr was fired from Sudan Airways after the Kuwaiti Arif Investment Group (AIG) took over. When the Heathrow issue surfaced AIG denied any involvement.

Details of the sale remain murky with some suggesting involvement of many parties.

Sudan Airways reverted back to state ownership in 2012.

Largely shut off from the airline industry due to a US trade embargo, Sudan Airways is down to less than 10 Airbuses, Boeing and Fokker aircraft – most of them were bought second-hand, some more than 15 years ago.

Last month Khartoum announced its intention to buy five Antonov planes from Ukraine to boost its aging fleet.

(ST)