Mauritania Airways
Encyclopedia
Mauritania Airways S.A.
was an airline
based in Nouakchott
, Mauritania
, operating out of Nouakchott International Airport
.
, the former national airline, which had suffered from prolonged financial difficulties and had been liquidated in October of the same year. Mauritania Airways was a joint venture
between Mauritanian and Tunisian interests: Tunisair
owned 51 percent, Mauritanian businessman Mohamed Ould Bouamatou owned 39 percent, and the Government of Mauritania owned the remaining 10 percent.
In November 2010
, the airline was banned from European airspace by the European Commission
, quoting "persisting deficiencies in its operations and maintenance", thus losing the rights to continue its scheduled services to Paris-Orly Airport, France
and Gran Canaria Airport, Spain
. Subsequently, Mauritania Airways discontinued all flights and went out of service on 23 December 2010. Again, a new Mauritanian flag carrier was formed, this time called Mauritania Airlines International
.
Africa
Europe (flights were suspended following the EU ban)
, Senegal
to Conakry
, Guinea
, which was operated using a Boeing 737-700
(registered
TS-IEA), overran the runway upon landing in heavy rain at Conakry International Airport
. Approximately 10 persons amongst the 91 passengers and 6 crew members on board suffered injuries, but there were no fatalities, even though the aircraft was substantially damaged.
S.A. (corporation)
S.A. designates a particular type of corporation in various countries, mostly those employing the civil law. It originated in Spain during the 16th century. Depending on language, the abbreviation stands for various phrases meaning anonymous society, anonymous company, anonymous partnership, or...
was an airline
Airline
An airline provides air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines lease or own their aircraft with which to supply these services and may form partnerships or alliances with other airlines for mutual benefit...
based in Nouakchott
Nouakchott
-Government:The town was first divided into districts in 1973. First it was divided into four. From 1986, the city has been split into nine districts.* Arafat* Dar Naim* El Mina* Ksar* Riad* Sebkha* Tevragh-Zeina* Teyarett* Toujounine...
, Mauritania
Mauritania
Mauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
, operating out of Nouakchott International Airport
Nouakchott International Airport
Nouakchott International Airport is an airport located in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. Until late 2010, it served as hub of Mauritania Airways...
.
History
The company was established in December 2006, but made its first flight only on 7 November 2007. It replaced Air MauritanieAir Mauritanie
Air Mauritanie was an airline based in Nouakchott, Mauritania. It was the national airline and operated domestic and regional services. A VIP-configured Boeing 727-200 was flown for the Mauritanian government. Its main base was Nouakchott International Airport....
, the former national airline, which had suffered from prolonged financial difficulties and had been liquidated in October of the same year. Mauritania Airways was a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
between Mauritanian and Tunisian interests: Tunisair
Tunisair
Société Tunisienne de l'Air, or Tunisair is the flag carrier airline of Tunisia. Formed in 1948, it operates scheduled international services to European, African and Middle Eastern destinations. Its main base is Tunis-Carthage International Airport...
owned 51 percent, Mauritanian businessman Mohamed Ould Bouamatou owned 39 percent, and the Government of Mauritania owned the remaining 10 percent.
In November 2010
November 2010
November 2010 was the eleventh month of that year. It began on a Monday and ended after 30 days on a Tuesday.-Portal:Current events:This is an archived version of Wikipedia's Current events Portal from November 2010....
, the airline was banned from European airspace by the European Commission
European Commission
The European Commission is the executive body of the European Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day running of the Union....
, quoting "persisting deficiencies in its operations and maintenance", thus losing the rights to continue its scheduled services to Paris-Orly Airport, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and Gran Canaria Airport, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
. Subsequently, Mauritania Airways discontinued all flights and went out of service on 23 December 2010. Again, a new Mauritanian flag carrier was formed, this time called Mauritania Airlines International
Mauritania Airlines International
Mauritania Airlines International is an airline based in Nouakchott, Mauritania, serving as flag carrier of the country. The company was set up in December 2010 in response to the demise of Mauritania Airways.-Destinations:...
.
Destinations
As of January 2010, Mauritania Airways offered scheduled flights to the following destinations:Africa
- BeninBeninBenin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
- CotonouCotonou-Demographics:*1979: 320,348 *1992: 536,827 *2002: 665,100 *2005: 690,584 The main languages spoken in Cotonou include the Fon language, Aja language, Yoruba language and French.-Transport:...
- Cadjehoun AirportCadjehoun AirportCotonou Cadjehoun Airport is an airport located in Cotonou, the biggest city in Benin in West Africa.In 2004, the airport served 301,493 passengers.-Airlines and destinations:-Incidents and accidents:...
- Cotonou
- Cape VerdeCape VerdeThe Republic of Cape Verde is an island country, spanning an archipelago of 10 islands located in the central Atlantic Ocean, 570 kilometres off the coast of Western Africa...
- PraiaPraiaPraia , is the capital and largest city of Cape Verde, an island nation in the Atlantic Ocean west of Senegal. It lies on the southern coast of Santiago island in the Sotavento Islands group. It is the island's ferry port and is home to one of the nation’s four international airports...
- Praia Airport
- Praia
- Côte d'IvoireCôte d'IvoireThe Republic of Côte d'Ivoire or Ivory Coast is a country in West Africa. It has an area of , and borders the countries Liberia, Guinea, Mali, Burkina Faso and Ghana; its southern boundary is along the Gulf of Guinea. The country's population was 15,366,672 in 1998 and was estimated to be...
- AbidjanAbidjanAbidjan is the economic and former official capital of Côte d'Ivoire, while the current capital is Yamoussoukro. it was the largest city in the nation and the third-largest French-speaking city in the world, after Paris, and Kinshasa but before Montreal...
- Port Bouet AirportPort Bouet AirportPort Bouet Airport , also known as Félix Houphouët-Boigny International Airport, is located 16 kilometres southeast of Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.The airport was one of many hubs for multi-national airline Air Afrique.- Airlines and destinations:...
- Abidjan
- The GambiaThe GambiaThe Republic of The Gambia, commonly referred to as The Gambia, or Gambia , is a country in West Africa. Gambia is the smallest country on mainland Africa, surrounded by Senegal except for a short coastline on the Atlantic Ocean in the west....
- BanjulBanjul-Transport:Ferries sail from Banjul to Barra. The city is served by the Banjul International Airport. Banjul is on the Trans–West African Coastal Highway connecting it to Dakar and Bissau, and will eventually provide a paved highway link to 11 other nations of ECOWAS.Banjul International Airport...
- Banjul International AirportBanjul International AirportBanjul International Airport also known as Yundum International is the international airport of Banjul, capital of The Gambia.In 2004, the airport served 967,719 passengers....
- Banjul
- MaliMaliMali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
- BamakoBamakoBamako is the capital of Mali and its largest city with a population of 1.8 million . Currently, it is estimated to be the fastest growing city in Africa and sixth fastest in the world...
- Senou International AirportSenou International Airport-Accidents and incidents:*On 24 July 1971, Douglas C-47A 6V-AAP of Air Ivoire crashed into a hill shortly after take-off. The aircraft was operating a scheduled passenger flight. All six people on board were killed.-Traffic and statistics:...
- Bamako
- MauritaniaMauritaniaMauritania is a country in the Maghreb and West Africa. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean in the west, by Western Sahara in the north, by Algeria in the northeast, by Mali in the east and southeast, and by Senegal in the southwest...
- NouakchottNouakchott-Government:The town was first divided into districts in 1973. First it was divided into four. From 1986, the city has been split into nine districts.* Arafat* Dar Naim* El Mina* Ksar* Riad* Sebkha* Tevragh-Zeina* Teyarett* Toujounine...
- Nouakchott International AirportNouakchott International AirportNouakchott International Airport is an airport located in Nouakchott, the capital of Mauritania. Until late 2010, it served as hub of Mauritania Airways...
hub - NouadhibouNouadhibouNouadhibou is the second largest city in Mauritania and serves as a major commercial centre. The city itself has about 75,000 inhabitants expanding to over 90,000 in the larger metropolitan area. It is situated on a 40-mile peninsula or headland called Ras Nouadhibou, Cap Blanc, or Cabo Blanco, of...
- Nouadhibou International AirportNouadhibou International AirportNouadhibou Airport is an airport serving Nouadhibou , a city in the Dakhlet Nouadhibou region of Mauritania.-Airlines and Destinations:...
- Nouakchott
- NigerNigerNiger , officially named the Republic of Niger, is a landlocked country in Western Africa, named after the Niger River. It borders Nigeria and Benin to the south, Burkina Faso and Mali to the west, Algeria and Libya to the north and Chad to the east...
- NiameyNiamey-Population:While Niamey's population has grown steadily since independence, the droughts of the early 1970s and 1980s, along with the economic crisis of the early 1980s, have propelled an exodus of rural inhabitants to Niger's largest city...
- Niamey Airport
- Niamey
- Republic of the CongoRepublic of the CongoThe Republic of the Congo , sometimes known locally as Congo-Brazzaville, is a state in Central Africa. It is bordered by Gabon, Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo , the Angolan exclave province of Cabinda, and the Gulf of Guinea.The region was dominated by...
- BrazzavilleBrazzaville-Transport:The city is home to Maya-Maya Airport and a railway station on the Congo-Ocean Railway. It is also an important river port, with ferries sailing to Kinshasa and to Bangui via Impfondo...
- Maya-Maya AirportMaya-Maya AirportMaya-Maya Airport is an airport located in Brazzaville, the capital of the Republic of the Congo.In 2004, the airport served 447,699 passengers.-Airlines and destinations:-Accidents and incidents:...
- Brazzaville
- SenegalSenegalSenegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
- DakarDakarDakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
- Dakar-Yoff-Léopold Sédar Senghor International AirportDakar-Yoff-Léopold Sédar Senghor International AirportLéopold Sédar Senghor International Airport is an international airport serving Dakar, the capital of Senegal. The airport is situated near the town of Yoff, north of Dakar... - ZiguinchorZiguinchorZiguinchor is the capital of the Ziguinchor Region, and the chief town of the Casamance area of Senegal, lying at the mouth of the Casamance River. It has a population of over 230,000...
- Ziguinchor AirportZiguinchor AirportZiguinchor Airport is an airport serving Ziguinchor, the capital of the Ziguinchor Region in Senegal....
- Dakar
- TunisiaTunisiaTunisia , officially the Tunisian RepublicThe long name of Tunisia in other languages used in the country is: , is the northernmost country in Africa. It is a Maghreb country and is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Its area...
- TunisTunisTunis is the capital of both the Tunisian Republic and the Tunis Governorate. It is Tunisia's largest city, with a population of 728,453 as of 2004; the greater metropolitan area holds some 2,412,500 inhabitants....
- Tunis-Carthage International AirportTunis-Carthage International AirportTunis–Carthage Airport is the international airport serving Tunis in Tunisia.The airport is named for the historic city of Carthage, located just north of the airport. It is the base of operations for four airlines: Tunisair, Nouvelair Tunisia, Tunisair Express and Tunisavia...
- Tunis
Europe (flights were suspended following the EU ban)
- FranceFranceThe French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
- ParisParisParis is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
- Paris-Orly Airport
- Paris
- SpainSpainSpain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
- Las Palmas - Gran Canaria Airport
Fleet
Upon its closure in December 2010, the Mauritania Airways fleet consisted of the following aircraft:| Aircraft | Total | Passengers (Business/Economy) |
Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ATR 42-300 | 48 (0/0/48) | ||
| Boeing 737-700 Boeing 737 Next Generation The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners... |
145 (0/12/133) | leased from Tunisair Tunisair Société Tunisienne de l'Air, or Tunisair is the flag carrier airline of Tunisia. Formed in 1948, it operates scheduled international services to European, African and Middle Eastern destinations. Its main base is Tunis-Carthage International Airport... |
|
| Total |
Incidents
On 28 July 2010 at 01:30 local time, Mauritania Airways Flight 620 from DakarDakar
Dakar is the capital city and largest city of Senegal. It is located on the Cap-Vert Peninsula on the Atlantic coast and is the westernmost city on the African mainland...
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
to Conakry
Conakry
Conakry is the capital and largest city of Guinea. Conakry is a port city on the Atlantic Ocean and serves as the economic, financial and cultural centre of Guinea with a 2009 population of 1,548,500...
, Guinea
Guinea
Guinea , officially the Republic of Guinea , is a country in West Africa. Formerly known as French Guinea , it is today sometimes called Guinea-Conakry to distinguish it from its neighbour Guinea-Bissau. Guinea is divided into eight administrative regions and subdivided into thirty-three prefectures...
, which was operated using a Boeing 737-700
Boeing 737 Next Generation
The Boeing 737 Next Generation, commonly abbreviated as Boeing 737NG, is the name given to the -600/-700/-800/-900 series of the Boeing 737 after the introduction of the -300/-400/-500 Classic series. They are short- to medium-range, narrow-body jet airliners...
(registered
Aircraft registration
An aircraft registration is a unique alphanumeric string that identifies a civil aircraft, in similar fashion to a licence plate on an automobile...
TS-IEA), overran the runway upon landing in heavy rain at Conakry International Airport
Conakry International Airport
Conakry International Airport , also known as Gbessia International Airport, is an airport located in Conakry, the capital of the Republic of Guinea in West Africa. It is divided into domestic and international terminals...
. Approximately 10 persons amongst the 91 passengers and 6 crew members on board suffered injuries, but there were no fatalities, even though the aircraft was substantially damaged.