Final plug pulled on Air CEMAC ideals

The Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (Communauté Économique et Monétaire de l'Afrique Centrale - CEMAC) has formally abandoned its regional airline venture - Air CEMAC (Brazzaville) - following a meeting of heads of state in Gabon.

During the gathering in Libreville, the leaders of Cameroon, Chad, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, and the Republic of Congo announced the abandonment of the carrier citing difficulties in its implementation.
The community had planned for Air CEMAC to improve connectivity between the neighbouring countries in a region long starved of reliable air services. There were also plans for international routes to major cities such as Johanneburg, Dubai, Frankfurt and London.
Speaking at the Aviation Africa conference in Dubai earlier in week the chairman of Rwandair and former Ethiopian CEO Girma Wake said that while the ideas of consolidation always made great sense they fall down on political intervention and individual national protectionism and interests.
It seems this latest venture has also fallen foul of this interference.
Four of the major airlines operating across Africa have acted as strategic partners (Air France,South African, Royal Air Maroc and Brussels Airlines).
Air France was the latest to fail having demanded 40% shareholding with the African airlines getting 5% each with the balance of the holding being held by banks and other financial institutions.