Sudan Civil Aviation Chief Sacked; Russian Planes Grounded

June 30, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — The Sudanese president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir issued a decree today relieving the chief of the civil aviation authority Gen. Abu-Bakr Gaa’far.

Ibrahim Abdullah Abd Al-Karim was named as the new civil aviation authority chief.

Sudan official news agency (SUNA) also reported that Al-Bashir banned all Russian made planes from operation.

The decision by the Sudanese president comes in the aftermath of a cargo plane crash today near Khartoum airport shortly after takeoff killing four Russian crew members.

A plane (Ilyushin 76) chartered by a private company called Ababiel crashed near the airport in an empty area.

The plane crashed and the fire had already started while it was in the air, a witness said. While taking off the plane collided with an electricity pillar and crashed, he added.

The plane was flying from Khartoum to Juba.

Earlier this month a Sudan airways passenger plane veered off the runway and burst into flames minutes after it landed killing 28 people.

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