Boeing signs deal to restructure limping CAMIAR-CO
American firm Boeing has signed a deal to revamp the limping Cameroon Airlines Corporation (CAMIAR-CO).
Boeing penned the deal with CAMIAR-CO at a ceremony in the Cameroon capital Yaoundé on Tuesday.
The Chief Executive Officer, Mr Jean Paul Nana Sandjo, signed for CAMIAR-CO while the US firm was represented by the Sales Director for International Sales Services in Seattle, Washington, Mr Michael Bangue-Tandet,.
The experience
The Boeing official revealed that the ceremony was the culmination of months of work between the US company and officials of the Cameroon national carrier.
“Today, we just signed this partnership that we’ve been designing and working on for many months in a cross coordination with CAMAIR-CO team. We are starting to work right away so in a few months, we will have feedbacks and see what the next steps are,” Mr Bangue-Tandet said.
Mr Nana Sandjo told reporters that CAMIAR-CO would count on the experience of Boeing for better services.
Foreign policy
Cameroon Transport minister Edgar Alain Mebe Ngo’o and the head of the US diplomatic mission in Cameroon, Mr Michael Stephen Hoza, and a delegation from the US Embassy witnessed the partnership agreement.
The US diplomat said his country makes it a foreign policy priority to promote investments abroad.
“Our commitments to the Cameroonian people are clear and transparent. US companies must bring top technology to Cameroon, and Boeing’s global aviation reputation is excellent. American companies must engage in technology transfer with their partners,” said Mr Hoza.
A deficit
Mr Mebe Ngo’o described the agreement as a product of the outcome of “the excellent and fruitful relations between Cameroon and the United States”.
CAMIAR-CO was founded in September 2006 to replace the defunct Cameroon Airlines (Camair) which collapsed due to a managerial crisis.
Ever since it launched the first flight in 2011, it has been wading through financial and managerial scandals.
CAMIAR-CO recorded a deficit of $17.9 million during its first year of operation.