The Somali Civil Aviation Authority (SCAA) has banned various older Antonov Design Bureau turboprops from the country's airspace effective March 15.
According to an SCAA letter seen by the Voice of America (VOA), the ban affects all An-24, An-26, An-32, and An-12 turboprops. In the letter, the regulator said its decision was based on a lack of certified AMO facilities in East Africa capable of servicing the aircraft.
In addition, the SCAA also said the Antonovs lack the required traffic collision avoidance system (TCAS) and that their noise certification is "unacceptable."
The SCAA's deputy manager, Joseph Muse, said the ban would affect a "small number" of aircraft that are chartered by humanitarian organizations and the African Union mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to ferry cargo. One of the planes, an An-12, has already left the country and returned to Ukraine, he said.
